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Other Fuels / Re: Wood Gasifer Kit Now Offered
« on: August 29, 2011, 12:11:59 AM »
Hi Guys
Been a long time since I've even looked at this topic thread. Came here to refer some fellows wanting to know my first woodgasing operating experience. Refered them back to my experience and pictures with MarcusB. shown earlier here.
So Mr vtmetro askes a good question: 19 months later and where we at??
I am up to ~200 operating hours on 11 different gasifier designs. Piece a cake now making woodgas for 3 kW of power for boring after boring hour. Doesn't have to be brainac totally tar free. Pick the right engine. Learn to operate a system with your own woods, in your own climate for your own needs to make "good 'nuff" fuel gas. See here for DYI:
Google up YouTubes for PhilC. system at "GetSomeBass1" woodgas videos. Google up for Daniel "Foxridgecampground" woodgas videos.
Read here many times DutchJohns pdf in English for making Microgasifiers;
www.woodgas.nl
For buy-it systems see where the APL/GEK people have evolved to;
www.gekgasifier.com Open up the "Buy It" tab and let it load. Read it all for a history.
See here for a different designers All stainless steel systems I have been involved with. I have insisting on a 5000 hour overhaul interval and 20,000 hour minimum service life as design goals for true working offgrid capable systems. I have now system tested these to be able to project this:
http://victorygasifier.com
Both of these are now evolved mechanically mature systems and I do not expect any major changed or improvements now. Yes $$$$ and $$,$$$. That is the price for years of the development hours, set backs, the hundreds of prototypes built, and then the quality of materials needed to put this experience into real metals available as produced systems. They both encourage their "One button" "Turn key packages" These ARE NOT KISS. Pass, save the money. And then put in the time to learn to operate manually. And then YOU design a simple timer automation system you can understand and maintain.
You will see that all of these have also evolved to spark ignition four cycle gasoline/gasious fueled engines. As have I. Sold my 12/1 India hot-rod "hopper". Kept the nice but noisy RS180 Jeng Dong for a small diesel. Truth be, to spark convert a Lister/Listeriod/Yanmar/Changfa engine while possible, and been done now, is a terrible waste of these rare hard to get excellent multi-heavy liquid fuel capable engines. And Duel fueling with diesel as the pilot ignition and woodgas as the primary fuel source has proven under actual generator variable loading and especially off load dumps to be unstable resulting in dangerous over-speeds with over-voltages and frequency swings.
I know of two now CS Listeriod 6/1 spark converted woodgassed efforts. Both have never documented more than a 1000 to 1500 watt generated capability. I have personal gotten 3.2 generated loaded kilowatts out of a little 3600 RPM Briggs 5.5 kW (gasoline) scream-a-matic genset. The 972cc three cylinder Kubota's NA engines able to make a solid 5 kW AC or DC generated power woodgased fueled. Very quiet and smooth.
So pick the right engine. Pick a gasifier design and then really LEARN to use it with easy to gasify chunked up wood fuels and this is very doable.
Quote from one of the thousand + hour gasifier guys I have put up before, "Gasification is only 25% mechanical and 75% experience."
My lines of advice now are,"Only fuel wood Burning is actually Learning.", "And Only engine running on woodgas is Really Learning Well."
If you want; Google up "Steve Unruh woodgas" follow all of the links to see how I have evolved to form these opinions.
Regards
Washington State Steve Unruh
Been a long time since I've even looked at this topic thread. Came here to refer some fellows wanting to know my first woodgasing operating experience. Refered them back to my experience and pictures with MarcusB. shown earlier here.
So Mr vtmetro askes a good question: 19 months later and where we at??
I am up to ~200 operating hours on 11 different gasifier designs. Piece a cake now making woodgas for 3 kW of power for boring after boring hour. Doesn't have to be brainac totally tar free. Pick the right engine. Learn to operate a system with your own woods, in your own climate for your own needs to make "good 'nuff" fuel gas. See here for DYI:
Google up YouTubes for PhilC. system at "GetSomeBass1" woodgas videos. Google up for Daniel "Foxridgecampground" woodgas videos.
Read here many times DutchJohns pdf in English for making Microgasifiers;
www.woodgas.nl
For buy-it systems see where the APL/GEK people have evolved to;
www.gekgasifier.com Open up the "Buy It" tab and let it load. Read it all for a history.
See here for a different designers All stainless steel systems I have been involved with. I have insisting on a 5000 hour overhaul interval and 20,000 hour minimum service life as design goals for true working offgrid capable systems. I have now system tested these to be able to project this:
http://victorygasifier.com
Both of these are now evolved mechanically mature systems and I do not expect any major changed or improvements now. Yes $$$$ and $$,$$$. That is the price for years of the development hours, set backs, the hundreds of prototypes built, and then the quality of materials needed to put this experience into real metals available as produced systems. They both encourage their "One button" "Turn key packages" These ARE NOT KISS. Pass, save the money. And then put in the time to learn to operate manually. And then YOU design a simple timer automation system you can understand and maintain.
You will see that all of these have also evolved to spark ignition four cycle gasoline/gasious fueled engines. As have I. Sold my 12/1 India hot-rod "hopper". Kept the nice but noisy RS180 Jeng Dong for a small diesel. Truth be, to spark convert a Lister/Listeriod/Yanmar/Changfa engine while possible, and been done now, is a terrible waste of these rare hard to get excellent multi-heavy liquid fuel capable engines. And Duel fueling with diesel as the pilot ignition and woodgas as the primary fuel source has proven under actual generator variable loading and especially off load dumps to be unstable resulting in dangerous over-speeds with over-voltages and frequency swings.
I know of two now CS Listeriod 6/1 spark converted woodgassed efforts. Both have never documented more than a 1000 to 1500 watt generated capability. I have personal gotten 3.2 generated loaded kilowatts out of a little 3600 RPM Briggs 5.5 kW (gasoline) scream-a-matic genset. The 972cc three cylinder Kubota's NA engines able to make a solid 5 kW AC or DC generated power woodgased fueled. Very quiet and smooth.
So pick the right engine. Pick a gasifier design and then really LEARN to use it with easy to gasify chunked up wood fuels and this is very doable.
Quote from one of the thousand + hour gasifier guys I have put up before, "Gasification is only 25% mechanical and 75% experience."
My lines of advice now are,"Only fuel wood Burning is actually Learning.", "And Only engine running on woodgas is Really Learning Well."
If you want; Google up "Steve Unruh woodgas" follow all of the links to see how I have evolved to form these opinions.
Regards
Washington State Steve Unruh