Timothy you have now reached a confusion-moment in understanding wood-for-shaft-power gasfier systems. From very small active volumes systems - Imberts. Too Very large active volumes systems - the WK. With most systems types somewhere in between these extremes. Many, often subtle differences to make each system work well. Where they vary the most is the needs for far different ranges of use forced internal flows velocities. The needed temperatures remain the same.
In any of my modern certified clean-burning bulk wood heating stoves I can, and daily do, operate them from a cold starting off range of using 3-4 different locations of inlet airs to make a roaring, open flaming fire to induce up quickly the rising heats chimney flow draft. Warm up to Hot all of the stoves internal materials.
THIS IS the now fashionable “newly discovered” Rocket stoveing mode. And that is where rocket stovers begin and end. They never know any other way. Macrobiotic thinking.
Now in any of my bulk wood heating stoves I MUST within 5 to less that 10 minutes cut back my airs allowed locations and volumes to not overheat the stove’s material to destruction.
Dramatically decrease the internal flow velocities. And this becomes normal typical wood stoving. Burn down. Reload. Do again. Mostly yellow bright flames. What the American and Canadian stove manufacturers like to sales picture as Ideal.
Not me anymore since ~1999. Then my game has evolved to continue moderate velocities flames combusting only then with now made gasses being heat driven from the still raw wood sticks core out past the outer sticks charred surfaces. Much less energetic flaming. Pretty evolving changing colored flames then. Wood Gasifing. What the better European stoves manufactures like to sales videos and sales picture up as Ideal.
Still not all-best heating use of the fuel wood for me. I impatiently wait for the wood splits and branch cuts to evolve down into a glowing HOT bed of intense radiating out red-glow char. Then almost no visible flaming. It is a clear blueish flame. Char burning. The Hottest. Needing almost the least air. And a slow best heat capturing flow.
Where the Charcoal gasifier guys start. Operate. And understandings, end at.
Still not good enough. Once I do have that ~8-10 pounds; 3-4 kilograms of hot glowing charcoal producing the heat energy, THEN add on 3 splits of fresh raw wood on top of it. Have to actually cut back the air a touch more then. The hot-hot char then does split some the the woods moistures into combustible hydrogen and oxygen.
Then I can heats producing cruise along and do for 10-16 hours a day. I try for this for at least 3000 of my annually needed 5000 hours of heating a year to be this in this cycle. Neighbors now since about 2000-03 do not even know anymore when I am wood stoveing or not.
See the points?
A wood gasifer is a system that can make it own needed char internally. A well operated gasifer system will the use that char and the woods out gasses to make a settled, and one pass filtered clear blend of motor grade fuel gases.
Using wood as your fuel input sources you will need to think in full cycles of from cold starting; warming up to optimal; then shutting down for the best next from cold starting experiences.
You will need to think and operate, and eventually understand across all of the operating spectrums.
Ha! And this why some systems will use relatively small restriction throat areas with relatively small volumes of below the restriction char-reduction volumes. Velocity, speed demon systems.
Why the WK and KurtJ’s system call for huge 8" 300mm restrictions choker plates. And large volume below that and above the grate char-bed reduction volume cavities. They relatively slow internal velocity systems, balanced with larger active nozzles volumes and below restriction volumes.
You can compare and contrast, alright. But mix systems and you’ll end up with a poor performing mythical creature. Who tars. Who burns through. Either tars or pulled though abrasive ashs kills engines.
Ha! Ha! I’ve worded carefully to not allow the fellows who insist on acronym’ing to four letters secret-squirrel talk tagging these different systems.
Me, German named Unruh, I prefer to keep my short-cuts predication classifications inside my head.
Lables hung will limit. True Life is in spectrums ranges. Not snap-shot frozen ideals. Wedding cake moments.
Steve Unruh
