[Gasification] CO2 recycling

[doug.williams]

Hi Toby and Colleagues,

I have just returned from Australia, so apologise for the slow response to 
this discussion.

On the 7/10/07, I said to Harry G.

>I would agree with you on this one, but it depends on your basic
>understanding of the principles of gasification phenomena, not so much the
>thermodynamics.


Your response to this on 10/10/07

>I believe thermodynamics is very important in gasification, and that the 
>full understanding of moisture and it's phase change thermodynamics when it 
>undergoes pyrolysis is >much more important than you suggest.

The reason for the way I responded to Harry's comments, is simple. 
Thermodynamics happens after the creation of heat producing phenomena, and 
while you can use calculations to good effect for designing most processes, 
gasification has sunk many approaching the technology from this perspective. 
New innovative phenomenon relating to carbon conversion into gas, is not 
only an understanding of thermodynamics, because if it were, then millions 
of dollars would have not been wasted by inappropriate projects.

  > I've been "shaking this bush" for a long time.

First find the right bush to shake, then you might not have wasted so much 
time.(:-)

>I respect your years of experience, but reject any label whereby others and 
>myself on the list are characterized as "imploring innovators or investors, 
>to pick up the idea and >develop it" simply because we want information and 
>discussion for theory we have.

First, your respect is not of importance to me personally, unless you pay me 
money for saving your neck, or financial losses pursuing an idea that needs 
a tweak in the right direction. You do not write in a way that indicates you 
just wish to discuss a possible avenue for development, and it is not easy 
to sort out what you do know from what you wish to learn.

 >You seem to imply that putting our ideas out for scrutiny, is equal to 
"imploring" others to do something they don't want to do.

Scrutiny is the most important advise I give every one making enquiries to 
me about gasification, but not every one can do this with new innovative 
processes that an inventor (or dreamer) presents. It is more difficult if 
the inventor (in a general sense) does not understand even basic 
gasification principles, but just picks the eyes out of literature on the 
subject. It is not as you say, equal to trying to get people to do something 
they don't want to do, but rather, getting other people to do what you 
cannot do yourself.

>I do believe there could be commercial potential for a well performing, 
>biomass/waste CHP product.

I think you would be surprised at how wrong you might be on this assumption, 
but one off projects do exist.

>I don't want to build a camp fire stove gasifier, I don't want to build a 
>conventional downdraft, but I do want to understand producer and syngas and 
>how each of them can be produced and utilized, without being labeled as one 
>of the "implorers", those bad types.

The only way I found out how things do not work, is trying to learn how they 
do work. Experience only ticks off the things you do not do next time 
around, and you are not going to learn by saying I don't want to do this or 
that, when you start from say, nothing.

Now, moving on to your remark of  18/10/07

> So Doug, do you have a gasifier somewhere willing to experiment?

Is this a request to be put in touch with a person to do work on your 
behalf, or a gasifier facility?

> (There I go imploring again, (shit)).

What do I reply to this?

 >Seems GF could make the microwave part to add on, from spare .parts.  Out 
of 800 list members, you would think we could find ways to R & D (someone 
with a gasifier and >gen set). Or is my imploring reaching about 30?

If GF makes the microwave, someone else has the gasified engine generator, 
and someone has to make this thing work,  "the we" doing R&D does not 
include yourself, unless you are prepared to travel somewhere, and take a 
role in proceedings. In pointing out the obvious, it does not make me 
unsympathetic to your situation of having a good idea, but needing others to 
make it happen, as it is a common problem to us all.

Doug Williams,
Fluidyne.