[Gasification] Re: Gasification Digest, Vol 23, Issue 2

Sat Jun 3 20:23:29 CDT 2006

Dear Friends,

  I have a suggestion which I put forward to Japanese experts too, but they are too busy with Rice Husk.
  When Coconut Shells are burnt, a large volume of very thick acric smoke comes out. This contains many Organic compounds. Not only CO & H2. This may be used as a fuel for Petrol; or Diesel engines after proper treatment. The volume of Gas and Heat produced during Coconut shell burning is second only to Coal.
  I am living in Sri Lanka and Philippines. We produce massive amounts of coconut shells but they are just burned to produce Charcoal for export. Locally this charcoal is used by Gold-Smiths and Black-smiths.
  I think this is a massive wastage of Bio-mass energy. Unfortunately for us, the expert like you on this subject are mainly from Europe & USA.
  Thank you.

  Ananda

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Today's Topics:

1. r.e. What is the difference between a Gasifier & Charcoal
Retort (Mark & Elena Gallmeier)
2. Re: In the "pits" wrench'n. (XT2QDX at aol.com)
3. Re: Gasification Digest, Vol 23, Issue 1 (Ananda Weerakkody)

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Message: 1
Date: Fri, 2 Jun 2006 20:50:48 -0400
From: "Mark & Elena Gallmeier" 
Subject: [Gasification] r.e. What is the difference between a Gasifier
& Charcoal Retort
To: 
Message-ID: <001101c686a7$c299fd50$6602a8c0 at c9y1p2>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
reply-type=original

Dear Neal, Harmon & All,

DISCLAIMER: The following pertains to smaller scale gasification in the 
USA.

> Doesn't the gas from the flue of a charcoal retort also contain
> combustibes?<

Yes. Dr. Reed answered this, mostly. The other volatiles include a tiny
percentage of methanol vapor and numerous other chemicals. Charring yields:

1. H2 & CO fuel gasses.
2. Solid mostly carbon char fuel.
3. A very small percentage of methanol, around 2%.
4. Other chemically useful tars.

> Couldn't it also be piped to an IC engine for fuel?<

The H2 & CO could after condensing out or fractionating the other
volatiles, and the water vapor.

>>What's going to be used then to heat the retort? Normally that gas would
>>be burned to help heat the retort.<<

Depends on what your available fuels are and what you want from the process.
'Bridging' and proper fuel sizing is not a critical issue (translation: 
tight tolerances on fuel prep and expensive
fuel prep equipment) either for char process fuel or for char feedstock.

Sustained testimony on this list over the years says gasifier fuel problems 
are the leading failure point for modern gasifier projects.

It is true that 'thermal efficiency' and other efficiencies are far greater 
for more advanced gasifier designs. The fine print that comes along with 
these greater operating efficiencies
demands fairly exacting fuel preparation and gasifiers designed around 
specific fuel types and sizes. For wood this translates into wood chip 
sizes larger than what is usually produced by the wood chippers now in 
common service in the USA. Now you have to purchase 'special' chippers 
whose cost will probably exceed the rest of the installation, whether for 
yourself or to reequip existing tree cutters.

And it excludes other abundant forms of waste biomass. These forms include 
wood construction waste (too many nails to chip), scrap cargo pallets 
(ditto) and mulch which is usually too small and always too irregular in the 
size of particles.

In my own field research here in SW Florida I determined THE BIOMASS FUELS 
THAT ARE LEAST DESIRABLE FOR GASIFICATION ARE ALSO THE MOST READILY 
AVAILABLE. Least desirable according to current small gasifier design 
approaches, anyway. This has profound implications for gasification and 
especially smaller scale gasification.

These biomass fuels include wood construction scrap, scrap wood cargo 
pallets, mulch and tree cutting service wood chips averaging 3/4" x 1/2" x 
1/4". All of these fuels are far more easily 'charred'.

'Charcoal' was also widely used as a gasifier fuel in the 1930s and 1940s. 
GENGAS and "State
of the Art" by Ali Kaupp (both from BEF Press) report that 1940s gasifier 
operators
actually preferred charcoal gasifiers. Incidentally, both these books 
also document the growth of extensive gasifier fuel preparation and 
distribution industries in Sweden, Germany, France, Switzerland, all 
producing 'ideal' gasifier fuels to exacting standards. We are currently 
lacking this sort of production and distribution infrastructure in North 
America...

With charcoaling, the fuel prep cycle can be entirely done with available 
low cost chainsaws and log
splitters, rather than still rare and expensive 'block size' wood chippers.

So little has been done with charcoal gasifiers in the modern era that 
knowledge is effectively limited to 1940s era literature. I'd also add that 
little research appears to have been conducted into improving the thermal 
efficiency of charcoal retorts. There have been two embedded assumptions 
in charcoaling and retort installation designs to date. First, one has an 
effectively unlimited supply of wood fuel to drive the process. Second, the 
resulting char is the objective product goal and will be used elsewhere, 
rather than char being an intermediate step.

>> What's going to be used then to heat the retort?...<<

Something else. If you started with a wood fire, then more wood,
obviously. If you began with other heat sources... Incidentally, some 
other candidate heat sources look like they might lead to more thermally 
efficient retort designs, especially if they are the only heat source used 
for the entire process.

Several circumstances have changed since the late 1940s when the appearance
of cheap natural gas killed off widespread commercial charring in the USA. 
First,
natural gas is not so cheap anymore, and it looks set to get less cheap all 
the
time. Second, coke made from coal has soared in price. And coke
availability is disappearing because the EPA is determined to exterminate
all U.S.A. coal coking batteries. For metallurgical purposes, high quality 
char is the
only feasible substitute fuel for smaller cupola furnaces.

All these are reasons that made 'charcoaling' my own hardware entry point 
into 'biomass
gasification'.

Regards,

Mark

Message: 6
Date: Wed, 31 May 2006 07:56:27 -0500
From: "Harmon Seaver" 
Subject: Re: [Gasification] Re: r.e. What is the difference between a
gasifier and a charcoal kiln?
To: Gasification 
Message-ID:
<22acb24d0605310556m2204b302h48cafbce9a4e9f21 at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed

On 5/30/06, CAVM at aol.com wrote:
>
> Mark et al,
>
> Doesn't the gas from the flue of a charcoal retort also contain
> combustibes?
> Couldn't it also be piped to an IC engine for fuel? Charcoal would be a
> byproduct.

What's going to be used then to heat the retort? Normally that
gas would be burned to help heat the retort. I doubt the energy
efficiency of trying to make charcoal AND run an engine is going to
compute very well, even if, as Daniel said, the tar problem wasn't a
serious issue.

------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Fri, 2 Jun 2006 21:38:33 EDT
From: XT2QDX at aol.com
Subject: [Gasification] Re: In the "pits" wrench'n.
To: gasification at listserv.repp.org
Message-ID: <255.b04df96.31b24219 at aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"

Sorry andy, but pictures are a must!
Please?
It sounds like fun.

Michael G

In a message dated 6/2/06 8:14:42 PM, gasification-request at listserv.repp.org 
writes:

Message: 1
Date: Thu, 01 Jun 2006 18:01:01 -0400
From: "andy schofield" 
Subject: [Gasification] Tuning an Imbert type
To: gasification at listserv.repp.org
Message-ID: 
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed

Dear All,

  This past week, I've been running my gasifier with a few  modifications.
The stratified downdraft reactor unbolts from the grate-flange and the gas
clean-up train. I set it aside and fitted an Imbert-type reactor with an
air-tight fuel batch-bin with condensate trapping slotted liner (monerator).

  The 500 pound unit is now mounted aboard a 1975 GMC 1/2 ton cab and
chassis. The 5.7L V-8 is fueled with both gasoline (4-barrel Rochester), and
the gas made from cherrypits.

  The gas-train consists of a 30-gallon hopper-bottom hand augered ash-bin,
a nominal 4" cyclone,
a 30 square foot surface water-cooled gas cooler, and a large straw-packed
filter. Electrical auxilliaries are driven by a 4KW gasoline genset.

  Top speed so far is 40 MPH on a 1/3 mile rough dirt oval track (gasoline
throttle shut). This breaks my own old speed record I set in 1991 with a
four-cylinder Jeep side-valve,  also fueled (stratified downdraft) with
pits.

  Sparkplugs tend to foul at low gasification rates, but I have a way to
clean them. Anyone have suggestions to tune an Imbert type for less tar?

  The purpose of this setup is to tow a 3.5 ton trailer at the lowest cost
possible. Break-even point is many miles down the road! Keep you posted.

In the "pits" wrench'n.

Andy Schofield
Great Lakes renewable fuels (and systems)

------------------------------

Message: 3
Date: Sat, 3 Jun 2006 11:05:11 +0800 (CST)
From: Ananda Weerakkody 
Subject: [Gasification] Re: Gasification Digest, Vol 23, Issue 1
To: gasification at listserv.repp.org
Message-ID: <20060603030511.8745.qmail at web31903.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

Andy,

We use a Scrubber and then a "Saw Dust" filter to reduce the Tar content of Flu-gas. Gas going through a sealed tank of saw dust comes cleaner. This is an invention of a Japanese professor who was our adviser. We didn't have any problems with Spark Plugs. But Engine must be run with LPG before closing the shop, to have a good start the next day.

Engr.Ananda S.K. Weerakkody

gasification-request at listserv.repp.org wrote:
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http://listserv.repp.org/mailman/listinfo/gasification
or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
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You can reach the person managing the list at
gasification-owner at listserv.repp.org

When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
than "Re: Contents of Gasification digest..."

Today's Topics:

1. Tuning an Imbert type (andy schofield)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Thu, 01 Jun 2006 18:01:01 -0400
From: "andy schofield" 
Subject: [Gasification] Tuning an Imbert type
To: gasification at listserv.repp.org
Message-ID: 
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed

Dear All,

This past week, I've been running my gasifier with a few modifications. 
The stratified downdraft reactor unbolts from the grate-flange and the gas 
clean-up train. I set it aside and fitted an Imbert-type reactor with an 
air-tight fuel batch-bin with condensate trapping slotted liner (monerator).

The 500 pound unit is now mounted aboard a 1975 GMC 1/2 ton cab and 
chassis. The 5.7L V-8 is fueled with both gasoline (4-barrel Rochester), and 
the gas made from cherrypits.

The gas-train consists of a 30-gallon hopper-bottom hand augered ash-bin, 
a nominal 4" cyclone,
a 30 square foot surface water-cooled gas cooler, and a large straw-packed 
filter. Electrical auxilliaries are driven by a 4KW gasoline genset.

Top speed so far is 40 MPH on a 1/3 mile rough dirt oval track (gasoline 
throttle shut). This breaks my own old speed record I set in 1991 with a 
four-cylinder Jeep side-valve, also fueled (stratified downdraft) with 
pits.

Sparkplugs tend to foul at low gasification rates, but I have a way to 
clean them. Anyone have suggestions to tune an Imbert type for less tar?

The purpose of this setup is to tow a 3.5 ton trailer at the lowest cost 
possible. Break-even point is many miles down the road! Keep you posted.

In the "pits" wrench'n.

Andy Schofield
Great Lakes renewable fuels (and systems)

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