Looking for wood gasifier help

[Fallon]

some people like to sit in their chair and watch football, but i'd rather exercise my mind and create something.

We just moved out of suburbia to 5 acres with a shop so I could tinker & putter as well.

I was just thinking heating water with fuel would be a little simpler than trying to get air/fuel mixtures right for a gasifier. A steam engine is just a steam supply & a piston connected to a flywheel with appropriate valving to switch piston direction based on flywheel location. I'm not sure which one would be more likely to explode on you... probably steam.

Keep on tinkering.

 

[davedj1]

OOPS my bad, I just naturally thought of a wood fired gasifier water furnace. I'm not geared to think of a gassifier to make a fuel. I did read a bunch on them a while back but can't remember where I found all the info. You tube search might help.
dave

 

[lostcause]

OOPS my bad, I just naturally thought of a wood fired gasifier water furnace. I'm not geared to think of a gassifier to make a fuel. I did read a bunch on them a while back but can't remember where I found all the info. You tube search might help.
dave

yeah, it's cool. most newer wood burners are designed to employ some form of gasification to burn the excess gases produced as wood heats up. it's all the same principle, just that i'm looking to keep it at controlled pyrolase and not intentionally use the heat from burning the wood. as far as learning about it from the internet - i've searched, read stuff, and watched videos for the last few years. i'm just looking for a two directional form of communication now. a sounding board to toss ideas at and hear feedback from people who have already done it. there's a lot out there already, but there's even more knowledge in the heads of people that you have to find and pry out.

 

[OldMcDonald]

lostcause, Sorry I cannot help directly. To be honest I am not so technically minded, but have a near neighbour who is and he mentioned wood gasifiers to me a few weeks back. Always willing to learn I read a little bit about them. If you have not already checked specifically for Australian sites, they were a very popular fuel source for vehicles during WWII. A forum that might be able to provide useful info for you is Home made jet & pulsejet engine and might also give you some new thoughts on other propulsion methods.

 

[gungatim]

have you read the plans put out by FEMA? I downloaded them a while ago and was toying with building one myself. Looks pretty simple and "government approved"!

 

[Willie B]

I know nothing of them, Vermont Castings engineering genius Duncan Syme, Built a gassifier trailer to tow behind a 1935? Yellowstone Ford tour bus. It served as the gas tank. As I recall he used hardwood thread spools heated in a sealed container over a propane burner.

 

[jwmsjwms]

Have you thought about a steam plant instead. I do recall an article in The Mother Earth News about units that had been built in England during WWII. Do not recall details though; read it about 25 years ago.

 

[Tor Arne]

One thing you have to watch out for is getting the gas cooled and filter it well before you introduce it to the engine if you plan to have the engine last for some time. You will also experience some loss of power compared to gasoline, about 40% if i remember correctly.

 

[Willie B]

Tor Arne, My wife's family is in Norway, Byremo if I remember correctly.
I was surprised to see a B275 on your list. I too have had one for 27 years, a very useful tractor, and now some of the venues are relaxing their pre 1960 rule, Mine is 1961, I run stock in antique tractor pulls. I do as well as anyone in weight class. These machines are very rare in USA.
Bill

 

[Tor Arne]

Tor Arne, My wife's family is in Norway, Byremo if I remember correctly.
I was surprised to see a B275 on your list. I too have had one for 27 years, a very useful tractor, and now some of the venues are relaxing their pre 1960 rule, Mine is 1961, I run stock in antique tractor pulls. I do as well as anyone in weight class. These machines are very rare in USA.
Bill

Hey.
Mine is a 62 model, agree that it is a very useful tractor. Perhaps one of the most smooth running disel engines I've heard It has been on the farm since 72 I think. many childhood memories with that tractor. They are quite common here in Norway. Still using it frequently when I have a small job.