[Gasification] Perfect Hearths

[Toby Seiler]

Greg and Jim,
   
  Greg, please help me understand your "perfect hearth".  I understand your desire is to preheat the incoming air, but it seems that your suggesting taking the heat from the bottom of the reduction zone area with a tubular grate.  If I understand Jim, I agree with him that no heat should be removed there because it reduces the temperature at precisely the area that it is needed most.  Seems that by reducing the temp there, you will be more likely to make tars rather than tar free gas.  After that grate, in the gas collection area, would be fair game as the reactions are complete.  I think that is what Jim is saying (but not exactly sure).  Were you working on a feeder unit (as opposed to batch feed)?  If so, is it airtight?  Have you thought about preheating (indirect) the incoming fuel, rather than air?  DTU did this with a screw feed and the gas in a shell around it, longer would seem better for more heat transfer.
   
  Jim, my compliments, that's a nice paint job for demonstration and a well thought out unit. I think I understand the flow of air/gas in your "kit" but do not see what is happening with the center pipe that comes up out of the hopper and also the bottom center pipe.  Is there more air entry coming in than comes through the nozzles? Your using the gas collection area with the J pipe to preheat the incoming air and do some cooling...correct?   If gas is coming up around the fuel hopper, why do you insulate between them?  Does preheating the air do something that I'm not considering (air becoming less dense with heat) that would not be accomplished by heating the fuel?
   
  Best regards,  Toby Seiler, STC

       
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