Wood Gas Generator: Run Your Truck on Firewood!
Woodgas,orwoodgasification,isadecades-oldrenewableenergytechnologythatconvertschunksoffirewood
,woodchipsorothercellulosicbiomasstocharcoal,volatileandcombustiblegases,andoccasionally,combustibleliquids.
Theprocess,whichiscalledpyrolysis,isaccomplishedbycookingthewood(underlowoxygenconditions)inawoodgasolinegeneratorandcollectingthevapors,whicharethendirectedtothevehicle's(ideallyatruckorSUVwithroomtocarrythegasgenerator)carburetortobeburnedinsteadofgasoline.
Theprincipal"waste"productfromthisprocessischarcoal,whichisnowbeingstudiedasavaluableamendmentforsomesoils.(Tolearnmore,readMakeBiocharthisAncientTechniqueWillImproveYourSoil.)
ThisprocesswasusedtofueltrucksinEnglandduringWorldWarII.Becausetoday'ssocietycontinuestobeextremelydependentupongasolineasourprimaryfuelfortransportation,woodgasolinegeneratorhasreceivedresearchattentionfromtheFederalEmergencyManagementAgency(FEMA).Areport,preparedbytheOakRidgeNationalLaboratory,whichworksfortheDepartmentofEnergy,providesdetailedinstructionsforconstruction,installationandoperationofawood-gasgenerator.Downloadthereport(NOTE:thisisa25MB+fileandthusmaynotbefeasibletodownloadoveraslowInternetconnection)viathefollowinglink:ConstructionofaSimplifiedWoodGasGeneratorforFuelingInternalCombustionEnginesinaPetroleumEmergency.
Thepurposeofthereport"istodevelopdetailed,illustratedinstructionsforthefabrication,installation,andoperationofabiomassgasifierunit(thatis,a"producergas"generator,alsocalledawoodgasolinegenerator)whichiscapableofprovidingemergencyfuelforvehicles,suchastractorsandtrucks,intheeventthatnormalpetroleumsourceswereseverelydisruptedforanextendedperiodoftime.Theseinstructionsarepreparedintheformatofamanualforusebyanymechanicwhoisreasonablyproficientinmetalfabricationorenginerepair.
ThisreportattemptstopreservetheknowledgeaboutwoodgasificationasputintopracticaluseduringWorldWarII.Detailed,step-by-stepfabricationproceduresarepresentedforasimplifiedversionoftheWorldWarII,Imbertwoodgasolinegenerator.Thissimple,stratified,downdraftgasifierunitcanbeconstructedformaterialswhichwouldbewidelyavailableintheUnitedStatesinaprolongedpetroleumcrisis.Forexample,thebodyoftheunitconsistsofagalvanizedmetalgarbagecanatopasmallmetaldrum;commonplumbingfittingsareusedthroughout;andalarge,stainlesssteelmixingbowlisusedforthegrate.Theentirecompactunitwasmountedontothefrontofafarmtractorandsuccessfullyfieldtested,usingwoodchipsastheonlyfuel.Photographicdocumentationoftheactualassembleoftheunitaswellasitsoperationisincluded."
Intheearly1980s,theMOTHEREARTHNEWSstaffexperimentedwiththewoodgasconcepttopoweratruck.Theyeventuallyproducedawoodgasificationsystem,fabricatedfromrecycledwaterheaters,thatwassuccessfulenoughtowarrantawoodgasgeneratorplantoofferinthemagazine.
Morerecently,RobertBeamofWilliamsport,Pa.,convertedhis1988IsuzuTroopertorunonfirewood(seephoto).TheSUVisabletorun20mileson25poundsofwoodchips.YoucanreadmoreaboutBeam'struckandfindalistofMOTHEREARTHNEWSarticlesonthesubjectinThisTruckRunsonWoodChips!AndvisittheBeaverEnergywebsitetolearnmoreabouttheTrooper.
AnotherresourceforfirsthandadviceistheWoodGasdiscussiongroup.
Ifyouliketotinkerwithenginesandwantamoresustainable,self-reliantfuelforyourtruck,considercreatingawoodgasolinegeneratorforyourvehicle.Ifyoudo,pleaseshareyoursuccessesandfailureswithothersbypostingacommentbelow.
Wood Gas Generator: Run Your Truck on Firewood!
By: chinaqsh
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