[Gasification] drawings for gasifier systems

[Thomas Reed]

Dear John, Ruth and All Gasifier Gonnas;

We are currently building a 15-20 kW gasifier for generating power and 
heading toward an 80 kW minigrid system.  We thought both would be easy 
with our long experience and knowledge of the WWII experience.  We have 
a 3000 ft2 lab with metal working capabilities and make several runs a 
week complete with computer recording and data analysis.

We sell two books complete with drawings and photos at our website 
WoodGas.com

/*(DRIVING ON WOOD: THE LOST ART OF DRIVING WITHOUT GASOLINE: 3rd 
Edition */ N. Skov and M. Papworth, (1974). Description and beautiful 
detailed drawings of various gasifiers and systems from World War II.  
In this new edition we have reduced Skov's 20 X 30 in plans to 11 X 17 " 
and bound them in the book, still very readable.  The gasifier was used 
to drive a Checker car around campus.  Nils Skov was in the Danish 
Underground and write of his experiences in a new book, see 
www.kalama.com/~NASKOV/
<http://www.kalama.com/%7Enaskov/>ISBN 
1-890607-09-6                                 
80pp                                      $25)

This includes detailed plans on how to build a WWII type (nozzle air 
injection, Imbert, ...) gasifier, and over a million of this type 
operated through WWII.  They were forgotten when cheap oil returned to 
the civilian economy.  I have never built this type of gasifier, but 
have talked to many others building and operating this type 
successfully, many on the first try.  There was a cross country 
alternate fuel rally (LA-NYC) in 1981 in which three gasifiers made it 
all the way (Ben Alexander, Mother Earth News and Dan Chittick).  My 
pure methanol car was first in its class.  My drivers had wonderful 
tales of the gasifier cars.  (Unfortunately, I couldn't go because I was 
re-enacting the Battle of Yorktown.)

/*CONSTRUCTION OF A SIMPLIFIED WOOD GAS GENERATOR:*/ H. LaFontaine 
(1989) - Over 25 drawings and photographs on building a gasifier for 
fueling IC engines in a Petroleum Emergency (FEMA RR28).
ISBN 1-890607-11-8                                
68pp                                       $15

Harry built this gasifier for FEMA and there are excellent pictures and 
drawings.  This is based on the "stratified downdraft" gasifier we 
developed at NREL in 1980-88.  It has since been modified by the CGP Lab 
in Bangalore to include air injection into the char zone to greatly 
reduce tars. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------
The primary problem in building gasifiers is that no one completely 
understands the principles.  We operate several runs a week at the BEF 
Laab on our gasifiers, making improvements with each run and we know a 
lot more than we did last January.  I hope to write a book incorporating 
principles and practice after we have made a few dozen of various sizes 
for various fuels. 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Until than, I recommend that anyone interested in gasifiers build one or 
the other of the above models to get their feet wet.  They will work 
adequately if not perfectly.  I also recommend buying one of our WoodGas 
stoves and converting it back to a gasifier by closing off the 
combustion holes. 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A gasifier is basically a chemical plant operated close coupled to an 
engine.  Amazing that the gasifier section (not including the fuel 
magazine) is typically much smaller than the engine itself. 

Tars are the Achilles Heel of gasifiers.  Our mantra is that the 
gasifier can and should be operated to destroy most of the tars inside 
the gasifier, rather than having to add on filters. 

There is a great variability in the chemical properties and 
gasifiability of different biomass fuels.  If a gasifier manufacturer 
claims that he can gasify a wide variety of fuels, run the other way.  
In principle, you can, but in practice minor or major modifications will 
be necessary.  Meanwhile, wood chips (not shreds) and pellets are 
excellent fuels for gasifiers. 

I hope this note doesn't discourage the serious builders and turns away 
those who are not.  We need more successes in gasification, not more 
failures. 
John and Ruth wrote:
> I have been following the chat for some time and would now like to build a unit from gasifier,cooler?,cleaner filter to motor.I would like to fit unit to a2000cc petrol truck.Would the group be able to tell me where to get drawings? Would like to use wood as I have plenty of gum trees and would like to split and cut into short lengths.  Regards John Appleton
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