[Gasification] First flames

[Tom Miles]

See images at: http://gasifiers.bioenergylists.org/diazpioneer


-----Original Message-----
From: gasification-bounces at listserv.repp.org [mailto:gasification- Sent:
Monday, January 22, 2007 6:20 PM
To: gasification at listserv.repp.org
Subject: [Gasification] First flames

Dear Mr. Williams & listers,
I am very glad to inform that the small pioneer class gasifier 
Works wonderfully. 
We kept the main dimensions and worked on a 100 pound LPG tank.
The only main difference is that it's completely insulated with a 30 mm
refractory lining. 
We chose the push arrangement for the vent, which makes lighting a bit slow
and smoky but in general works perfectly.
The first tests have been made with charcoal, very irregular in size and
shape. The gas flow is constant and just stops after a couple of hours when
the air injection nozzles go uncovered.
What is really amazing is the turn down ratio; we can go from 4" W.C down to
less than 1/2" and it still works nicely. 
After testing with charcoal we tried wood pellets 1/4" diam. & 1" in length,
that was a big change. Smoke can be seen in the center of the flame for a
very long time, until the whole system is really hot, and the flame colors
are always reddish. The other problem with pellets is that they tend to
block the system and gas flow is very irregular. I suppose that can be
solved with some vibration on the grate.
The only thing we haven’t worked out is how to stop the damn thing, a couple
of times we've had some nice explosions. (We've stopped to check before
running out of fuel to see how it looked inside)
Pleas advice on the safer way to stop for checking.

Any questions I'll be very glad to answer, after receiving so much help how
could I refuse.( remember I'm just a apprentice,  I can tell you how I
copied it, but how it works,  only Mr. Williams and god know )
Best regards,
Douglas Díaz Mc Leod.
Santiago, Chile
The real down under.