[Gasification] water injection of producer gas fired ic engines

[Doug Williams]

Hi Jim,

I have just returned from overseas travel, and see your question.

>i don't remember seeing any disucssion here on water/steam injection
> into an ic motor running on wood gas.  so far in the books i've not
> come across it either, but it is likely there, as i've yet to finish
> all the books.  anyways, water injection would seem to help much with
> several liabilities of woodgas fired ic engines.

All those engines which had water injection, were gasoline fuelled, the 
highest form of heating you can get in an engine situation. Producer gas is 
one of the lowest heating fuels, and if you put water or steam into this 
gas, it will slow the flame speed right down, not crack into hydrogen and 
oxygen as normal for the gasoline fuelled engine.

 The result is that the gas is still burning as it exits the exhaust causing 
burnt valve seats. Catalyitic converters would seem to be nessesary to avoid 
CO emissions from most engines using producer gas as fuel. As for servier 
liabilities, this only applies to high speed engines, say operating over 
1800 rpm, when the high torque  capability is lost. Slower speed engines can 
do real justice to this very misunderstood gas.
Hope this helps,
Doug Williams,
Fluidyne Gasification.