The generators also require up to 10 minutes to get up to working temperature, so you cannot jump in your car and drive away immediately. Wood to Gas Inserts. Biochar to Enrich Your Garden. Posted by: There is a picture of the read out in The idea of powering vehicles with wood or other biomass energy is nothing new. Wood is biomass that, well, literally grows on trees. Wood gasification is a proces whereby organic material is converted into a combustible gas under the influence of heat - the process reaches a temperature of 1,400 C (2,550 F). Under no circumstances should wood-gas ever be compressed to more than 1 bar (15psi) above ambient, as this may induce condensation of volatiles, as well as lead to the likelihood of severe injury or death due to carbon monoxide or deflagration if the vessel leaks or fails. Don't worry, for this project you wont need any fancy tools or equipment. I thoroughly enjoyed this article, if for no other reason than it brought back a lot of nostalgia for the time of my youth, the 1970s when the Fuel Crisis of 1973 brought about similar discussions of alternate sources of energy of all kinds, way back in the days of Mother Jones and Whole Earth Catalog and berkenstock sandals and Buckminster Fuller dome houses etc. This investigation, supported by car manufacturer Volvo, led to a great deal of theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience with several road vehicles (one seen above) and tractors over a total distance of more than 100,000 kilometres (62,000 miles). The chunker is powered by a thrifty two-cylinder diesel engine. Just like gasoline or diesel, wood is a carbon-based fuel. Tony | Jim Mason | How recognizable. Still, in spite of the improvements, even a modern woodmobile requires up to 10 minutes to get up to working temperature, so you cannot jump in your car and drive away immediately. Sounds futuristic, right? But you are right on the advantageous fact that pellets also can be made of other biomass. Especially in coastal ares where they harvest large trees like redwoods. It both allows and forces you to think about how to contribute to a more sustainable world. For comparison, if gasoline costs $3.50 a gallon, your vehicle would have to achieve nearly 350 miles per gallon for its driving cost to be a penny per mile. Shutting off the gasoline fuel with injectors is faster and more precise than a carburetor. Syngas continued to be used in blast furnaces and in factories until the 1920s. The "fuel tank" can contain 30 kilograms (66 pounds) of wood, good for a range of 100 kilometres (62 miles), comparable to that of an electric car. KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA---October 23, 2008---Japan's most powerful wood gas-to-energy power plant, powered by two of GE Energy's Jenbacher gas engines, has won the Gold Award for the Best Renewable Energy Power Plant of the Year, conferred by Asian Power magazine. so the wood chips continue to flow without issue. Posted by: Robin Hunt, Simon Chippendale and I built a producer gas unit using old second world war plans at Walcot Reclamation in Bath UK in the early 1970s. Fuel injected gasoline engines are also good candidates for wood gas conversion. Making it work isnt easy. And lots of construction waste could be recycled too. Fat_Bollocks | There is no need for high-tech recycling: the ash that remains, can be used as a fertilizer. . We also carry 1967-1969 Camaro parts , 1968-74 Nova Parts and 1968-72 Chevelle Parts and accessories. all seems annoyingly simple, given all the challenges to get to here. This prevents automated programs from posting comments. New sexy non-threatening low tech in developed world, eg strawbale building = pc and safe Yes I call them ZioNazis and certain Jews collaborated with Hitler while their less fortunate working class countrymen died so they could profit. Since most homes provide low pressure natural gas for their heaters, ovens,stoves or grills, now you can run your generators off the same fuel. Posted by: And you dont need firewood splits to do this small branches, construction tailings and other wood scraps make the best fuel. Corn is one of the worst performing crops, but there are many others yielding in the order of 2000 gallons per acre. 9. Low tech in the future, post apocalypse, mad max scenarios = nonpc and nonsafe 4. Applications for this also exist in agriculture (syngas-powered tractor). Gasification was an important and common technology during the 19th and early 20th century. Fuel your back-up electrical generator with wood gas and save a trip to town. The reason it is left in the bush is that it is not economic to haul it in to the mill. Low-tech Magazine underscores the potential of past and often forgotten technologies and how they can inform sustainable energy practices. When it became clear most drivers cared less about the ability to extend the Volt's electric driving range by using gas-generated electricity than about "gas" mileage when the engine is running, the car was redesigned into a Gen 2 Volt that gets better gas mileage by . Traditional burning isnt sufficient the wood must be heated in a high-temperature, oxygen-starved environment in order to chemically convert and produce the ideal mix of combustible gases in a process called pyrolysis. If an alternative fuel can pull a 7-plus ton load, why do we even need petroleum? Trust me, this is no pipe dream. I was surprised. In 1944, Finland had 43,000 "woodmobiles", of which 30,000 were buses and trucks, 7,000 private vehicles, 4,000 tractors and 600 boats.[4]. Altogether, more than one million wood gas vehicles were used during World War Two. Please try again. In Bransbys 2010 tests, the Dakota achieved 21 mpg on gasoline and 29 mpg on wood gas. The printed archives now amount to four volumes with a total of 2,398 pages and 709 images. January 18, 2010 at 07:52 PM. Ignorance shouldn't be on the list. When I visited Keith on his 100-acre spread, it quickly became clear to me that he enjoys tinkering and has no qualms about getting his hands dirty. Suggested low tech types and their acceptablity: Wood gasification is a proces whereby organic material is converted into a combustible gas under the influence of heat - the process reaches a temperature of 1,400 C (2,550 F). Jonathan Spreadborough | Not only was Keiths Dodge Dakota the only wood-powered vehicle there, he was the only competitor to actually drive (not trailer) the vehicle to the event a distance of about 2,000 miles. Making your own fuel reduces unnecessary trips to nil. During the late 19th century internal combustion engines were commonly fueled by town gas, and during the early 20th century many stationary engines switched to using producer gas created from coke which was substantially cheaper than town gas which was based on the distillation (pyrolysis) of more expensive coal. Anthracite and coke are preferred for automotive use because they produce the smallest amount of contamination, allowing smaller, lighter scrubbers to be used. In 1957, the Swedish government set up a research programme to prepare for a fast transition to wood gas cars in case of a sudden oil shortage. building your own wood gas generator 2.1. building the gas generator unit and the fuel hopper 2.2. building the primary filter unit. Running wood gas in an unmodified gasoline-burning internal combustion engine may lead to problematic accumulation of unburned compounds. anders | Historically wood gas generators were often mounted on vehicles, but present studies and developments concentrate mostly on stationary plants. If the back seat is loaded with sacks of wood, the range is extended to 400 kilometres (250 miles). Some of the combustible gases can be compressed. When producer gas is used to power cars and boats[1] or distributed to remote locations it is necessary to scrub the gas to remove the materials that can condense and clog carburettors and gas lines. real gas composition numbers. February 28, 2010 at 06:43 PM. To get rid of the stuff, you have to dig it up. Wayne tells us how efficient his truck really is on wood gas, and we take a look at how much we'd use if everyone decided to drive on wood. Dutch John strongly believes in wood gas generators, mainly for stationary uses such as heating, electricity generation or even the production of plastics. "Art" drove wood gas trucks 200,000 km on the Russian/Finnish border during WWII. In preparation to start the Dakota, Keith flipped the switches on a pair of small in-line bilge blowers and opened the gasifier lid to reveal remnants of cold char in the tank, which he ignited with a propane torch. The wood gasifier consists of upper and lower chambers in the form of drums connected in the middle by a heavy spacer. a 20kg wood have theoretical energy density about 100kWh, same for about 8 kg petrol. What I'd like to see is a converted electric home generator that can run using this woodgas system. Pellets can be made from grasses, sawdust, scrap wood, seaweed, and other cheap renewable biomass. Clearly there is untapped potential in wood gasification for transportation, but whether it can ever be more than a fringe movement remains to be seen. goes to bear for many rounds of deeply impressive mechatronic control October 4, 2012. And carbon monoxide is a slow burning gas. LPG autogas tank constructed from steel is fitted in the boot. March 13, 2010 at 06:25 PM, Were running two 10 hour endurance tests on the GEK 10kw Power Pallet Wood gas trucks! December 22, 2017 at 12:39 PM. Extremely-high-surface-area carbon results, suitable for use as a fuel in black powder. Filters looked good at the end too. Wood gas will be introduced as in gasoline engines, in a form of wood gas / air mixture. At the end of the 1930s, about 9,000 wood gas vehicles were in use, almost exclusively in Europe. URLs automatically linked. During the 1990s, hydrogen was seen as the alternative fuel of the future. Firstly one is not carting a gassifier around town but most importantly the waste heat is warming your house rather than heating the roadside. I assumed he was starting on gasoline to warm up and wed light the tank soon. Theres a wood gasification sensation in Alabama, where Wayne Keith hasnt used more than a few gallons of gasoline since 2004, thus saving about $40,000. It is fitted with a multivalve. you start. Some of his earlier gasifiers were sized to allow 100 miles or more, but that required more conspicuous tanks. I am making a documentary video about a wood gas propelled truck and its builder. Developed world war time low tech = pc and safe Posted by: Plus you have weight considerations, which will inhibit efficiency, and initial purchase and installation cost. However, prudence must dictate that any sort of experimental wood gasifier design or new construction be thoroughly tested outdoors, and only outdoors, with a "buddy" at all times, and with constant vigilance for any sign of headache, drowsiness, or nausea, as these are the first symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. Wood gasifiers are still manufactured in China and Russia for automobiles and as power generators for industrial applications. Please enable JavaScript if you would like to comment on this blog. GM designed the Gen 1 Volt's engine operating parameters to take advantage of the benefits obtainable by using premium gas. They could not decide which laws we were breaking but they were certain we were. But I can't deny that I would like to perform some experiences with wood gas too. 3 Methods for Heating Greenhouses for Free. See the second part of this pdf document (page 17 and further) for a description of what it was like to drive a wood gas car back then: "experience at the Wurlitzer organ could be a distinct advantage". January 26, 2010 at 02:45 AM. You can compress the gas into composite storage tanks or oxygen type tanks (1/4" thick), but don't put wood gas into air compressor tanks (1/8" thick) because the hydrogen can embrittle the metal over time and rupture your tank. Serbian TV sitcom "Truckdrivers 2" (="Kamiondzije II") from 1983. talks, as a part of plot, about a gas generator affixed to a chassis of a lorry. Posted by: As a bicyclist is clearly a bum, punk, or escaped convict, I was often harassed by police who were completely uninformed about the law. The Volkswagen Beetles that rolled off the assembly line during World War Two had the whole wood gasification mechanism built in (sources: 1 / 2 / 3). Andres Mauricio | The gas generator takes up a lot of space and can easily weigh a few hundred kilograms empty. August 11, 2013 at 05:42 PM. or 0.51 HP of shaft power (i.e engine) or 0.342 kW of electric power generated . Indeed, the woodmobile caused severe deforestation in France during the Second World War (source). Posted by: Part of the team are now working on a more advanced design leaning towards top speed as opposed to range. We throw away a lot of wood at the dump, and if we change our habits, such as and when we grow corn, we grind up the stock and throw that behind the combine which could also possibly be used as well. Our expert outlines processing used cooking oil in a small DIY plant. An insert is a closed unit, retrofitted directly into the existing fireplace. January 27, 2010 at 09:14 AM. During the Second World War, coal and peat were also used, but wood was the main fuel. January 30, 2010 at 09:02 PM, "They could not decide which laws we were breaking but they were certain we were.". Regularly hauls loads of 15,000 pounds in farm work. Posted by: Charles V. Greene | In fact, in the case of a producer gas vehicle, the wood behaves like a natural battery. I see of a bunch of new age multiracial "hippy" types sharing a wood gas powered truck pulling loads of local vegetables, fresh fish, kegs of beer and handicrafts to town for trade. [21] At that rate, some of these other countries are going to own us. Bicycle Gas Engine Kits. His most recently-converted car is a 1979 Lincoln Continental Mark V, a large, heavy American coupe. The easiest way to convert an old inefficient fireplace to gas is to install a gas insert. Coal-based town gas production was generally displaced by petroleum-based gas and natural gas. Eventually, we had all of these running on wood gas: a Chevy pickup, a sawmill, and a 12.5-kilowatt electric generator for remote power. Theoretically, if the soot and tarry residue were to be fully separated from the gas, there would be no more damage in running a wood-burner than to run a modern propane-fueled vehicle, despite propane not burning as clean as natural gas. Furthermore, a vehicle running on wood gas has significantly lower exhaust emission than one running on petrol. Dutch John | The produced gas is a mix of atmospheric nitrogen, carbon monoxide, hydrogen, traces of methane. Woodmobiles also appeared in the US, Asia and, particularly, Australia, which had 72,000 vehicles running on woodgas (source). T-Belt Drive Conversion Kit For 2-Stroke 66cc/80cc T-Belt Drive Conversion Kit For 2-Stroke 66cc/80cc Drive Pulley Diameter: 39mm (11-12T sprocket . You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post. Posted by: Drive On Wood!Wayne Keiths website. A homemade wood chunker (made from the remains of an old truck) slices scrap wood. 3. Contrary to popular belief, you can't just let nature takes it's course, unless you're willing to watch things just fall apart and burn up. On this truck, Ive got a sensor and gauge that monitor the exhaust gas, telling me if its too rich, too lean or just right, Keith says. Could you feed them in a few pellets at a time (like a pellet stove)? June 08, 2018 at 04:18 PM. It was called synthetic gas (or syngas) and was available in many different forms such as coal gas, wood gas and water gas. Furthermore, before every refill, the ashes of the last gasification process have to be shovelled out. Trucks, buses, tractors, motorcycles, ships and trains were equipped with a wood gasification unit. This dose is called pilot charge. The word "almost" in the first sentence has to be unwarranted. High compression improves performance with wood gas: It burns slowly and has great antiknock qualities. Sayfam - Bursa Teknik nivers If the grid failed then gas stations couldn't pump fuel anyway. trailer was built with a wood gas unit that could simply be hitched behind the vehicle to convert the engine to run on wood gas. January 29, 2012 at 06:25 PM, Whoa - gettin' kinda deepspeaking of alternative feed stock for gasahol - check out melon-water. Because the gas burns slowly, a high number of revolutions is not possible. This method allows for gasification of biomass other than just wood, since reduction zones are not necessary (molten metal cracks tar molecules) and the heat range of the material as it gasifies is also less stringent. If the US stops wasting grain on feeding ruminants, and employs much more productive, ecology based production systems such as permaculture, there won't be a shortage of arable land. About 250,000 miles driven, almost exclusively on wood gas, since 2004. Dozens of amateur engineers around the world have converted standard production cars into producer gas vehicles, with most of these modern woodmobiles being built in Scandinavia. 2.3. building the carbureting unit with the air and throttle controls 3. operating and maintaining your wood gas generator 3.1. using wood as a fuel 3.2. special considerations and engine modifications 3.3. I first experienced this factor when trying to commute by bike. My environmentalism now extends to little more than cutting up all the dead branches from my pine trees and raking up all the pine needles and using them for fuel for my wood stove. The Volvo reaches a maximum speed of 120 kilometres per hour (75 mph) and can maintain a cruising speed of 110 km/h (68 mph). The removal of tar is often accomplished by using a water scrubber. Since 2004, Keith has powered his trucks with wood. From my past experiences with wood gas, I expected a faint smell of burnt wood lingering around the vehicle. Slowburn | Back in 2004, Wayne Keith drew a line in the sand at $1.50. Steam-gasification processes typically yield high hydrogen contents, downdraft fixed bed gasifiers yield high nitrogen concentrations and low tar loads, while updraft fixed bed gasifiers yield high tar loads.[6][8]. Finland had 43,000 "woodmobiles" in 1944, of which 30,000 were buses and trucks, 7,000 private vehicles, 4,000 tractors and 600 boats. Finished second to Jack McCornacks MAX car (visit, Set new speed record for wood gas (73 mph) in the 2011 World of Speed event at Utahs. http://www.biochar-international.org/. [citation needed], In 2008, an example of designing and constructing a working wood gas generator powered truck was shown on the National Geographic Channel's Planet Mechanics in the eighth episode, "Tree Powered Car".[15][16]. Low tech from the past = politically-correct and not threatening today's commercial status quo Less fuel expenses - Most of the drones that fly on gas engines, use nitro-methane gas as the fuel. Only one "mistake" that I caught ("coal" monoxide). Alexander Healy | the forum at the link above. Then again, bear isn't annoyed. Yesterday Your comment has not yet been posted. Keith started reading about wood gas during the late 1970s. They sell pretty cheap on ebay- usually no more than like $50 AUS. The worlds fastest wood gas truck: 73+ mph. Commercial generators were in production before and after the war for use in special circumstances or in distressed economies. Each of the four inlets includes a butterfly valve that Keith adjusts manually with controls on the dash. "Producing wood gas is not that hard", says John. [4][5][6][7], There is a rich literature on gas-works, town-gas, gas-generation, wood-gas, and producer gas, that is now in the public domain due to its age.[8]. Testing at Auburn University has shown it to be 37% more efficient than running gasoline. greenleaf rivers | It consumes 50 kilograms (110 pounds) of wood every 100 kilometres (62 miles) and is thus considerably less efficient than John's Volvo. Dutch John | Woodmobiles also appeared in the US, Asia and, particularly, Australia, which had 72,000 vehicles running on wood gas. Your comment could not be posted. However, this is not an option with their wood gas cousins because of the weight and the volume of the machinery. without problem, no hands required to keep it going. Come over and enjoy wood chip unplanned shut down to tighten a plumbing plug on the ash port that | Packing / mixed links & updates 4 . Cory Gohm | Posted by: Even then, an wood gas car consumes about one and half times more energy than a vehicle run on petrol. Undeveloped world low tech = pc and safe. I am allowed to drive on woodgas in the Netherlands, although customs already sees me as a threat. c) Fuel costs These dimensions are not really critical. Since wood gas systems have the tendency of being rather large, most focus on stationary applications (electricity production).

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