Generator question wood fired

[forgeblast]

I am thinking of how much firewood I have on hand, and How much I should be cutting from my woodlot every year.
I am wondering if anyone has made a wood fired electric generator? It would save my propane for cooking/heating.
I would like to be able to have the unit outside.
Just wondering if anyone has made something like this,
has found plans on making something like this or knows of someone selling something similar.

Just to brain storm,
I am wondering if using wood fired gasification could power a gas genny, or
would I have to go to wood firing a steam system to generate electricity.

I did find this
GenSets
About Wood Gas
***Miniature Wood Gasifier*** - Forno Bravo Forum: The Wood-Fired Oven Community

Thanks

edit**just found this site that has plans http://www.gekgasifier.com/

 

[IndyIan]

I think the B&S steam engine idea might be a good place to start.
Briggs and Stratton Steam Engine Conversion - YouTube
Free engines is an advantage when figuring out a system.

 

[charlz]

The first I had ever heard of using wood gassification to produce electricity was in Mother Earth News in the early 80's:


Backyard Wood Powered Generator - Renewable Energy - MOTHER EARTH NEWS

and a follow up article:

Update: Wood Gas Power - Renewable Energy - MOTHER EARTH NEWS


I have read some other articles since and IIRC one of the chief problems is the gas is pretty 'dirty' and hard on the engine.

 

[charlz]

I just looked at that gekgasifier site you linked to, gasification sure has changed since the 80's

 

[KTurner]

I am thinking of how much firewood I have on hand, and How much I should be cutting from my woodlot every year.
I am wondering if anyone has made a wood fired electric generator? It would save my propane for cooking/heating.
I would like to be able to have the unit outside.
Just wondering if anyone has made something like this,
has found plans on making something like this or knows of someone selling something similar.

Just to brain storm,
I am wondering if using wood fired gasification could power a gas genny, or
would I have to go to wood firing a steam system to generate electricity.

I've thought about the same, but not done any serious research. What would you use this generator for? If you're trying to run your house while the power is out due to the ice storm or heavy rains, it's going to be rough having to keep going outside and stoking the fire under the generator. It also requires some work to get going, so no auto-transfer like you could get with an electric start generator (if wired properly). Or are you looking to offset your electric bill?

With steam or woodgas, there are inconveniences to keep it running. You should be able to come up with a comparison between the two, say kilowatthours per cord to see which is more efficient.

Keith

 

[forgeblast]

If you're trying to run your house while the power is out?
Yep what is gettting me thinking this way is seeing the trouble people are having with getting gas, something I can control (wood) would make the difficulties even out. (if I needed to make a windbreak, or a little shed to run it in that would not be an issue.
I understand the work, heated with wood for years and know heating with wood even wood you can cut yourself shows there is no such thing as a free lunch.

 

[KTurner]

If you're trying to run your house while the power is out?
Yep what is gettting me thinking this way is seeing the trouble people are having with getting gas, something I can control (wood) would make the difficulties even out. (if I needed to make a windbreak, or a little shed to run it in that would not be an issue.
I understand the work, heated with wood for years and know heating with wood even wood you can cut yourself shows there is no such thing as a free lunch.

Another idea - why limit yourself to one fuel? set it up for multiples - woodgas, gasoline, propane.

Keith

 

[MossRoad]

Buying that gekgasifier system is $20,000.00 for a 10KW unit. You can purchase a nice one for well under $5k, plus a whole house transfer kit, plus a large fuel storage tanks, plus a fill it with fuel for under $10K. It just isn't cost effective. Plus, if you read it, you have to use wood chips. Not logs. Chips.

I don't think gasification is the way to go.

I would look into steam.... and get a good steam whistle, too. I love steam whistles.

 

[forgeblast]

I do a lot of spoon carving, so chips of wood are always around, It is expensive, thats a big negative with it.
I like the multi-fuel idea.
Seems like i need to do some more searching.

 

[MossRoad]

Here's a pretty neat article and company. Good read....

Is steam power in your future? by Skip Goebel Issue #43