[Gasification] Net Energy Metering

[John Bertl]

> You consumed 23,647 KW hours, in one
>month......man.. do you know what  that
>  would be here in Europe, 8,000 dollars..... it is more than anyone here 
>use in a year,
>but you got a workshop, or something, you got to,  it can not only be your 
>house.

You are correct - I have more than my home.
An uninsulated chicken coop is heated so
that the chickens can be comfortable and
the eggs won’t freeze.  The sidewalk and
part of the driveway are heated so that I
don’t have to shovel and, of course, there
is lots of heat tape on the roof so that I
don’t get a snow or ice buildup.  My wife
has a horse and a medical practice.
The horse doe not get any heat -
don’t want the horse to loose her good
winter coat.  But my wife’s medical practice,
which is on the other side of the river, is net
energy metered and is heated by electricity.

>
>Could you tell us more about the gasifier
>powered gensets you are building. Any information about them on the web 
>yet?
>

Nothing on the web yet.  The gasifier we
are building for the genset is a crossdraft,
downdraft, updraft recycle pressurize gasifier.

(Did I leave anything out?????)

The gasifier overall is a downdraft.  The
updraft part is everything above the flaming
pyrolysis zone. A suction inlet inside the top
of the hopper just above the level of the wood
sucks the gas into a burner that discharges to
the flaming pyrolysis zone.

This eliminates the tars that must be
cracked in the flaming pyrolysis zone and
allows the reduction zone to do its work.
(Not to be poisoned by the tars.)

The crossdraft is the flaming pyrolysis zone
and reduction zone.  An adjustable opening
for the orifice allows flexibility in admitting
char and gas into a second reduction zone.

The recycle zone is a fan below the reduction
zone that sends a significant portion of the flow
back to the top of the reduction zone by way
of a heat exchanger that heats the flow back
to the flame temperature of woodgas.
This allows the residual H2O and CO2 many
more chances to become fuel.

By doing this, I am also removing Nitrogen
from my woodgas (I’m using hot woodgas
as the fuel in the heat exchanger) and expect
the heating value to be greater than that of
other downdraft gasifiers.  I estimate the
nitrogen to be below 40%.

My recycle will also allow me greater
flexibility in moisture content as I can
increase the recycle as moisture
increases and convert more moisture to
fuel.  (within reason)  And remember -
there is already too much moisture
content in wood even if dried to 10%
- 15% dry basis

Over all, I know this sound quite complicated
but it is really very simple and nothing I haven't
done already in my carrier with Dow Chemical
and with Exxon.  It is just that there I had
money and instrumentation.  Here I have
neither.

On a side note:
I traveled to Gardner, Massachusetts yesterday
to see the Biomax 50 gasifier unit at the junior college
there.  See page 47 of the following pdf file.

http://www.forestprod.org/smallwood06rizzo1.pdf

My initial contact with Mr. Bob Rizzo was two weeks
ago.  After confirming I would be there and after traveling
250 miles one way, Mr. Bob Rizzo refused to see me
and sent a Mr. Swift to chase me away.  I have never
in my life met anyone as rude or witness such
inhospitable behavior.  Not only did I and two friends
NOT get to see the gasifier, I was told to leave as no
one would be allowed to let me in the building.
They were too busy.  (We had just talked to three
maintenance men who would have been glad to show us
around.)  I complained to the president’s office,
received an apology and was told someone would
be contacting me.

It wouldn’t be so bad but the US government has given
Biomax over ten million dollars to build and develop this
unit.  Part of that was my money and I can’t even get to
see what my money has paid for.

>From our conversation earlier, I believe they felt I was
going to steal some secret information and they changed
their mind on letting me view the unit.  BTW it was not
operating and has not been operating for months.  Biomax
is returning in April to fix the problems and train the people
in how to operate it.

Having surgery tomorrow.  Will be off
list through the weekend at least.

Doug - wanted like hell to come and see you before
surgery but it was just not possible.  I am taking
your advice to heart.

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