Well All wrote;
Diesel Generators would obviously be used, but some simple engineering
and drive line know how, you can operate several dynamos off the one
Engine thus increasing the output 4 & 6 & 8 fold of a single drive line;
I take it you are familiar with Bio diesel and how to make it.
Cost effective =12cents for 12 hours run time, for one single unit .

Why wouldnt you not just get an alternator the right size for the engine
and produce 415 volt 3 phase and be done with it. You can supply the
village directly with minium losses and recharge the batteries at the
same time. You could autostart the set when the battery voltage dropped
if the batteries could not get throgh the night.
I can't see your purpose in having several separate "dynamos" (DC ?) coupled
to the engine, seems like a total waste of energy.

Rache provokes a thought. Re-usable product is better than recycled. I dont know of any light bulb which does not end up as land fill. The plastic components emit gases some of which are greenhouse. The bulb is small but everything counts to the manufacturing, it takes a lot of energy to make glass and plastics as well as the metal components. Then on top of everything the product is distributed and distribution is often global. Technology should shift to re-using as much of the bulb as possible. Idealy we should focus on packaging also. Tinned food and plastic wrap for example are one off use products destined for landfill.
Perhaps we should review the old "hippy" ideals of refilling containers at the store, re-using jars to store rather than spending so much $$ on plastic ware and go back to the quaint shoe and stocking repairers rather than buying disposable sweat shop clothing. Perhaps even go back to the 5 day week ( which would save a lot of energy including transport savings) and hold sports events during the day in day light. An 8 hour working day would also lessen the need of lighting up endless kilometres of factory and store space for the benifit of a few people.

Perhaps we should reconsider (hu)man power in place of machinery, renewable timber instead of plastic and working locally.

In a way the light bulb ban is akin to the Japanese down sizing of American technology after the war to get the most out of meger resources. Banning recreational motorcycles , jet skis and domestic SUV's would have been more helpful. But then again as we have witnessed in Japan more efficient product is not enough.

Thanks Bazz, but I did mention Crude model and not based on schematics, the intent was to highlight the available equipment and materials to achieve maximum with limited resources, I suppose what I failed to explain was to produce 60 -80 Kw of power using one diesel car engine geared on a drive line, without a visa card and ordering a turbine that could produce a lot more at the flick of a switch.

You have to make it by know how.

If anything it will highlight the basics that are required and people must come to learn and understand.
Then move on to more technical and sophisticated measures.
The three phases would not be much use for house hold items unless the intent is to run ducted air-conditioning units or Industrial equipment.

Although it is a good point in recharging battery packs.

440 volts seems a little over the mark for a toaster and PC.And besides, you would need to corrilate solar power and Auxillery power into one jumction box or be it a new model substation.

It is easier to teach the simple and basic principles first. then progress into more advanced methods.

But at least we will have power to turn a light bulb on.

All,
Bad name to use that, as I was addressing you in particular not all.
I thought you were proposing a system for a small village.
Solar cells in the situation that you propose just would not be available.
You could do as you suggest drive "dynamos" (an old term that) from an
engine but you might need a lathe to manufacture couplings etc.
If you were in a windy place a wind generator might suffice for lighting.
I don't think electricity will be our problem, it will be liquid fuels.
2 deg rise by 2100, petrol rationing by 2012. I know which I will think about.

Bazz buy a bicycle and connect a battery charger to it. Kill two birds with one stone.

We have used solar lights instead of night lights for the kids for years. It has not mattered how cloudy the day has been. Cheap lights will last until 3 or 5 am depending on the brand of batteries installed.

It does take excersise though , something a lot of people are too lazy to do , to put the lights out during the day and bring them in at night. It takes five minutes which is too much to bare for a lot of people. Recently we have used them where bright lights are not necessary, the toilet and bathroom and hall way and the kitchen after cooking the evening meal. Small rooms such as the toilet and bathroom are very brightly lit. Ironically our use of solar lights was evoked by the annoying number of power blackouts we had to endure, except the kids nite lights , I didnt like having a little hot plug in the kids room burning all night. In that sense solar is safer. But like all things civilised batteries will die after three or four years and will become pollution.

For a few dollars more than cheap solar lights you can buy ones you can turn off when you go to bed and use two to three nights without having to put them outside.

Its kind of odd there is such a large cost for installing solar electricity into the house when solar lights are avaliable for a very low cost.

I had tried a search on that solar plant from many years ago, but I can’t find any web entries,
But non the less, The Orbital Space lab is equipped with a prism solar collector, If I can gather some statistical data on power consumption/ Generator, that would be the best model as it is active and durable, and powers up a lot of gadgets.
I don’t think it is classified.
Yes we do have an Industrial lathe and an old banger, but deadly accurate;
That said, Electronic motors/ Generators , engineered of that era, are excellent components and Models to duplicate.And I do.
They Surpasses Modern engineering by miles and will out live us and then way passes us.
Can't get anymore durable than that.