loan

subject: Wood Gas Generator: Run Your Truck on Firewood! [print this page]

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

welcome to loan (http://www.yloan.com/)