Good Morning All,
I am going to jump right into my reading-back Mother Earth News conclusion apology.
In the last 36 hours my wife nad I have had to realize we are going to have to step in to 100% responsibily of child rearing of the two God-children girls.
For me this will begin at 5:30 PM today with an incoming airline flight. Yep. Yep. Too damn old for this.
Needs-must when the Devil drives the sleigh. (my snowing many places now; and a current culture kids movie ease into this woodgas topic, with some real-life social wisdom always snuck in.)
The Mother Earth News woodgasifier system that has been plans set offered since the late 1980’s continuously was hard worked use evovled over the course of two long years. Documented published January/February 1981 thru January/February 1983.
It was minimum range-use proved documented Issue #71 with the four cylinder 195 CID Pontiac engine electrical generating loads at 1800 RPM. Estimated engine producing/using ~30 hp in Issue #70.
#71 issue published internal gasifier specs for the Pontiac/electrical generator system of:
“the total nozzle area is 0.627 square inches (each of eight horizontal jets is 0.26” in diameter, and the remaining height vertical jets are 0.18" across), the distance between the nozzles and the hearth restriction is 5", and the hearth diameter is 4-1/4". On the other hand the, the power plant in our Chevrolet truck (which turns at about 2800 revolutions per minute at 55 MPH, the speed at which most of it’s mileage is logged) requires an overall nozzle area of 1.237" (horizontals 0.36", and verticals 0.26" in diameter) . . . and a hearth-to-nozzle separation of 5-1/2" . . . and a hearth restriction width of 5-1/4". (Generally the total nozzle area should be 5 to 10% of the overall hearth area.)"
Ha! And some here say I write long sentence convoluted!
This issue #72 gives in words the reasonS for the change-up from the first system to the more complex J-tube system. Able to handle much wetter wood fuels. Internally cooled upper hopper with a mid-hopper condensate collection and removal features. Able to, “getting much more consistently good-quality gas and producing about a tenth of our former unit’s amount of filter-clogging in the process (thereby reducing maintenance chores substantially).”
The Issue #73 (which I do not have) is suppose to detail out this system’s maximum range fueling with the changed-in 454 V-8 pickup engine coast to coast rallying. Mountains. Speeds. Quickish traveling altitude and humidity changes.
The I-6 Chevy first in the pickup truck and later Issue #78 Belsaw Model M14, 40" blade sawmill proof established mid-range gas-making capability.
That less filters clogging is part by better tars/soots conversions in the hearth core by the J-tubes and ash slope heat retaining and metals saving insulation. Part by going from the first systems all-must-pass-tru grate; to a now active possible hanging gas-by-passing grate; and by then NOT ash sweeping the hearth, but in-hearth ash settling/collecting and taking produced gas off as high as possible as per Imbert and others. Wadda’ya know. They weren’t so stupid back in the 1940’s but two decades try-use experienced from the 19-teens WWI use era.
Lots and lots of evolving with use details and discoveries; make-better stories in these articles.
The only way anything worthwhile ever get’s done in the real world.
Soviet space program pencil: versus no-cost-object, US NASA Fisher SpacePen.
“Gitter’Done good’nuff. Work-use thereon. Move on to the next alligator problem challenge.” me
This MOMS system stands as DIY worthy with as the BenP’s book system.
It stands as DIY worthy with a true Imbert based copy as you would build up working from the plans set once available with the PEGASAS book. (Drive On Wood here in the DOW reference library)
It stands as DIY worthy with the three very detailed out blueprinted plans in VessaM’s book.
It stands as DIY worthy with a WK book and Premium-side assisted build up system.
The MENS system is NOT a XXX, or XxXxXer starting base experimental system.
It is NOT a hippy-dippy geek-brainiac system.
Not a redneck, I ar’a damn good welder, system.
Not a hotrodders wet-dreaming system.
It is NOT a planet-saving pie-in-the sky all-biomass system.
It is just like the others I have positively endorsed named above as a, you will work-sweat to build it. You will work sweat to operate it; very realistic DO IT YOURSELF, for use for yourself, and yours system.
Members here Paul Holverson and Ron Lemler have built a MENS plan system. Haved used thier MENS systems.
I apologize for all of the times I have disparaged the MENS system as just being a throw-a-dart picked from an old book system.
Hard to build? You betcha’
Then again the BEN’s book, Vessa book, WK book, are all hard to build.
You want easier?
I give away photocopied sheets of Stigg-Eric Werner’s, From-Tanks all weld-up system build to make-easy folks. Works. Must use dry, dry wood. Use much. And you will be patch welding burn- throughs.
Want hard use repair-abilty that’d be one of the sectional build units. Design-made and built to come apart. Then . . . chase air leaks if you sloppily build. Cheap out from the designers minimum materials specs. Or just get braniac creative.
Maybe you can. After your own also a couple of three years hard running and useing. And then step-by-step modifying for Results-driven improvements.
To my mind what separates out the real world usable systems are the needs-musts RESULTS design driven systems.
The hit-a-number design system are always slaved to someone else’s you-must-please-me “priorities”.
Regards
Steve Unruh