[Stoves] Frank's woodgas experiments

[frank]

Paul, and stovers
 From what you say about the water vapor, that is exactly what it looks 
like. But the wood was bone dry. I wanted to start out with something 
easy : ). I am also surprised as to how much primary air it seems one 
needs to keep the fire glowing.

So if this amount of water vapor is produced with such dry wood how is 
everyone else able to get the secondary fire going? And when you need to 
have so much air for the primary, and even more for the secondary, that 
makes the out gas going at a very fast speed. So fast it seems it would 
be hard to light.

I think this is a bottom lite. up draft 'stove'.
This is the set up.
The total container volume is 380 mls.
The rounded bottom of this straight walled glass tube holds 15 mls.  I 
plan to have a screen at this point in the future. For now (to see if I 
can get it to work) the primary air tube inject in the air within this 
15 mls.  Then I added 300 cc of small fuel for testing. Holding a fire 
at one end to get it started and dropping it in. Adjusting the primary 
air. That leaves 65 mls at the top for secondary air-wood gas mixing. I 
am still not sure the glass will hold up because I think I need to get 
it hotter.

I need to purchase two flow meters (primary and secondary) and a 
regulator then set up a manifold for the compressed air. Any 
calculations I can do to determine the size flow meters I will need 
using this volume chamber?

When I get more time I will work more on this.


Thanks for your help.
Frank







Paul S. Anderson wrote:

> Frank,
>
> Quoting frank <frank at compostlab.com>:
>
>> Dean,
>> I set up the experiment and gave it a try. The glass will easily handle
>> the heat, in fact I was surprised to be able to hold my hand on most of
>> the glass for some time. And I could see the wood and flame. It did not
>> blacken up as I was thinking it would. I am using a 'normal' rubber
>> stopper (not high temperature) and that works fine. I had a lot of
>> trouble lighting the fire at first but then used a bunch of wood coffee
>> stirrers until they were burning then dropped them in. Added my sample
>> of wood chips on top and adjusted the air to just see a glow.
>
>
> What you describe is not a TLUD gasifier.  Nor is it a good way to 
> start a
> traditional updraft gasifier.
>
>> The smoke
>> coming out was pure white ( a lot of it!) and not at all hot. I could
>> not get it to light. In fact, it seemed to want to put out the flame
>> from the lighter.
>
>
> Your limited heat is drying the fuel above it, sending up moisture, 
> not woodgas.
>
>> It is coming out via a 1/2" pipe and not a burner head with holes.
>>
>> I would like to get the wood gas to flame - my first wood gas stove!
>>
>> Any suggestions?
>
>
> I suggest that you do the basic TLUD (if that is what you are wanting) 
> operation
> in metal cans to see how it works, and then replicate it in the glass for
> observing.
>
> Tom Reed has done TLUD experiments in glass tubes.  He reads most of 
> these
> messages, so I hope he will comment.
>
> Tom:  The "Subject" of earlier messages was about "Stove Camp 2007" if 
> you are
> looking for Frank's earlier description of what he is setting up to do.
>
> Paul
>
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>> Frank
>>
>> -- 
>
> Paul S. Anderson, Ph.D., Geography professor - Emeritus
> Telephone:  USA-309-452-7072 (residence and office)
> Internet site:  www.ilstu.edu/~psanders
> For my gasifier stoves info, go to:
> http://bioenergylists.org/contributors#Paul_Anderson
>
>
>>
>
>
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>
>
>
>
>

-- 
Frank Shields
Soil Control Lab
42 Hangar way
Watsonville, CA  95076
(831) 724-5422 tel
(831) 724-3188 fax
frank at compostlab.com
www.compostlab.com