Wanted: Information on steam turbine power generators

The problem you will have is that a small steam system is really inefficient and quite expensive to build legally. As the size decreases the efficiency drops, which means you will have a whole lot of waste heat that has to be disposed of. If you already have a relatively high pressure steam system and want to add a turbine, Elliot and Dresser Rand are suppliers of small steam turbines. Be aware that the pressure ranges needed to run a viable steam plant are well above the point where you can be seriously injured or killed if a part fails, so this is not a good thing to home brew. I dont see Alt E offering steam turbines anytime soon!

You didnt say what sort of load you needed, but small gasifer systems may be a better option. They are still inefficient but dont require boiler code components and can be built by someone with basic welding skills. Bascially a gasifier heats wood in a chamber with minimal oxygen, it produces a combustion gas, consisting of mostly carbon monoxide and some hydrogen that is then cleaned and run into a conventional generator. There are several commercial gasifier sites out there plus there is a group in Berkeley California that sells kits. There is no high pressures involved, but be aware that carbon monoxide poisoning is a possibility if there are leaks in the system.

Alternatively if you can wait a bit, Dean Kamen of Segway fame just announced that he is ready to commercialize a Sterling cycle generator, which is a very old idea that to date hasnt been commericalized as there were some difficult technological issues to keep them running. Bascially you heat one end of the engine and cool the other end and it produces KWs. He is currently working with another company to produce it for third world water purification purposes, but it appears as though the generator will be seperate piece of equipment.