[Gasification] Re: Gasification Digest, Vol 23, Issue 28

[Mark & Elena Gallmeier]

Henry,

>>If we can get by that one how about producing say 2,000 gallons of 
>>methanol a day for our driving needs from wood waste.?<<

For 2,000 gals/day you will need to harvest and process 20-25 tons of wood 
feedstock daily from your 15 sq miles of forest lands.    Do not overlook 
possible wood yields from the other 20 sq miles of woodlands that make up 
your total 70% of forested area.   Examples include tree trimming and 
cutting of large old trees in inhabited spaces and clearing of new building 
sites.

>Do you have a sense of whether this would make an adequate supply base?<

A Vermont forestry specialist will know better whether and how those lands 
can yield the needed daily tonnages.  This man 
http://stumpage.uvm.edu/mcevoy.php looks like a starting point for expert 
local forestry information.

>>How about equipment and efficiency at this scale?<<

Think of 3-4 smaller tree cutting businesses.  Some must already exist in an 
area that is 70% wooded.  These are in fact the right people to do this, 
they are already doing this and already have most of the needed equipment.

>>If our model was good but need to be upscale we could take it up to say 
>>10-15,000 gallons a day by bringing in surrounding towns.<<

The optimum *political* size in my opinion is the first polity capable of 
issuing a revenue bond to help finance the project.  If local government 
authorities do this, they can also establish an immediate minimum consumer 
base by mandating total conversion of their existing municipal gasoline 
vehicle fleets.  Since these vehicles have no call to leave the home turf, 
they're perfect candidates for M85 conversion.

>>We would have very little use for secondary heat.<<

Don't worry, the plant will use all its waste heat.  For co-generation if 
nothing else.  Speaking of which, what is currently done with municipal 
solid waste in your community?  A methanol plant will need plenty of oxygen. 
Making it onsite means electricty.   A project like this should be paired 
with a gasifier generator system.

>>Do you know what the problems are in burning M85 in our regular cars is 
>>likley to be<

Fairly complete replacement of the fuel lines and other fuel system 
components with parts not corroded by alcohols, and a large increase in 
engine compression ratios compared to unleaded gasoline burners.  And 
initially an unpredictable availability of M85 fuel outside the local home 
area.

>>... or at least those set for E85?<<

See here:  http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/current.shtml   and here: 
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/flextech.shtml  You'll notice the first page 
mentions methanol whereas the second page only talks about ethanol, in 
compliance with the federal policy to suppress all liquid fuels except 
'oil' and crop based ethanol and biodiesel.  The fuel sensors in flex fuel 
vehicles also detect methanol, or used to.  I wouldn't be surprised if 
they've been dumbed down recently.

It's the current non-flex generation of equipment that is most problematic.

Mark


Date: Sun, 25 Jun 2006 21:46:21 -0400
From: "Henry Swayze" <swayze at pngusa.net>
Subject: r.e. [Gasification] Synergism - Methanol
To: <gasification at listserv.repp.org>
Message-ID: <00d401c698c2$5605b5d0$b11ceb3f at OWNERPF68LBC21>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Mark
I was interested in reading your post of May 7th about county scale methanol 
production.
I live in rural Tunbridge Vermont and am considering ways to make Tunbridge 
carbon neutral.  I can see paths to generate all our electricity but dealing 
with the 20K miles the average Vermonter drives is a tough one.
Do you know what the problems are in burning M85 in our regular cars is 
likley to be... or at least those set for E85?  If we can get by that one 
how about producing say 2,000 gallons of methanol a day for our driving 
needs from wood waste.?  Tunbridge is app 50 sq miles and 70% wooded... say 
we could have the waste thinning from logging from 15 sq miles of forest. 
Do you have a sense of whether this would make an adequate supply base?  How 
about equipment and efficiency at this scale?  If our model was good but 
need to be upscale we could take it up to say 10-15,000 gallons a day by 
bringing in surrounding towns.  We would have very little use for secondary 
heat.

Any thoughts or links would be appreciated,
Henry Swayze
Post Carbon Tunbridge
802-889-5556