Chris – I’m not put off at all by your comments. I appreciate all feedback. The guy in the Youtube videos is Rob Schram. He actually built his first gasifier when he was an engineering student in graduate school about 35 years ago. One of his mentors was Dr. Donald Chittick, who has some patents in gasification from back in the '70’s or 80’s. When Rob built this version he wanted to incorporate a bit more sophistication into it, since he was planning at the time to go into production. So this was his prototype. He didn’t actually build it just to fuel the truck. The truck was a way to kill two birds with one stone, since he needed to be able to move it around to demonstrate to potential investors. Now that he’s decided not to go ahead with that business plan, he’s lending it to the Green Dragon team for us to use in the documentary.
I’d love to join y’all at one of your wood gas meet ups. When is the next one and where? If it happens during our shooting schedule, perhaps we could get interviews with some of you if it wouldn’t be too intrusive. In any case, I’d love to meet some of you guys and hear about your wood gas adventures.
Hi Arvid – thanks for the welcome. The switch-over from gasoline to wood gas is currently controlled by popping the hood and manually switching valves. I’m hoping we can get a couple of solenoid valves installed so it can be done from inside the cab. And since we’re adding superchargers, we’ll need to have the switch-over control a bypass to essentially disable the super-chargers when we’re running on gasoline, by putting them into a loop mode. I’m pretty sure that running the Ranger on gasoline with a supercharger would cause detonation issues – and possibly a bent rod.
Bill – Regarding your comment about “taking the record away from Wayne” – if I could afford it, I’d pay for Wayne to join us on the Salt Flats. In fact, I’d do it, even though I’m 90% certain that his truck could whup our truck, hands down. I actually asked him if he’d consider it, but he pointed out that it’s a long way from Alabama to Bonneville. And I appreciate your point that Wayne has been a pioneer in bringing the home-built gasifier out of the dark ages and making the technology available to anyone who’s interested. That’s all part of the story I’m hoping to tell with this documentary.
Speaking of the documentary, we’re just a group of guys who think gasification is a story the world needs to hear about. I’m not a big film producer – just an old retired guy on a fixed income who is excited about the untapped potential represented by gasification of biomass. I was having beer one day with a friend who is a Canadian TV producer and convinced him to join me to try to make this film. But we’re doing it on our own – no outside funding besides the Kickstarter.
On the issue of pellets vs wood chunks: Wood waste is a great fuel source – nice and dense and easy to handle and process with minimal “embodied energy” required to make us of it. But there are lots of other potential fuel sources as well. In our area, agricultural waste is available in huge quantities – both crop waste and animal waste. Even dried sewage sludge can be pelletized and used as fuel. Anything containing carbon – including things like non-recyclable plastics, which are difficult to dispose of. Gasification is incredibly versatile. So part of the story we want to tell is the fact that we, as a society, could be using a lot of our “garbage” to produce energy. Beginning with all that biomass which we think of as a disposal problem.
I think anyone serious about making a documentary on the vehicular evolution of biomas gasification should pay a lot of attention to the upcoming Argos woodgas event . There will be several vehicles there driving in from different parts of the US ( 1500 miles for me ), Also there will be farm tractors , lawn tractors , gensets, charcoal gasifiers etc , etc,
This will be the biggest wood gas gathering in the United States and possible the world . Although it is not classified as any type of speed event, in the previous years on the back roads near the gathering there have been several vehicles reaching speeds much faster than the Salt Flat record .
I think if I were shooting a documentary, Argos would be a good starting place . The combined experience and knowledge gathered at the event could fill a lot of books .
I wanted to avoid dropping any names but a gasification documentary without Steve Unruh ( your home state ) has missed a gold mine !
Ahhh . . .
Thanks for the video hint WayneK.
Unfortunately as a dedicated lifelong energy bootlegger maker/promoter getting pictured and videoed doesn’t work for me.
I prefer to only work with those willing to say they will make and use energy for themselves and willing to say stick-it to ANY namby-pants: "you really must"s.
Only those willing to personally grow; then sweat, their energy fuels will be successful anyhow.
And these kinds of folks do not want to energy missionary, and want to stay off of gov’mints/regulators radars.
S.U.
SteveU – where are you located? I can understand your reluctance to be filmed. But at the very least, I’d enjoy meeting you and seeing what you’ve done with your vehicle.
Wayne – Where and when is the Argos event? If this gang will be there, I’d like to try to make it as well.
Hey Dennis McQ
I live in Yacolt valley located down in Clark Co. just south of Mount Saint Helens. A very scenic, but twisty rivers/mountian roads 20-45 miles off the I-5 corridor (depends on which river you follow). High-speed “wired” internet it’s like the other side of the moon.
North of you in Washington State are DOW members Derek Evens, and Tim Johnson? One of them has a WK gasifier variant built up that he drive around on a Dodge Dakota.
And just west of you is Larry Dobson out on Whidby Island.
Two of these three fellows do have quite a bit of video content that they have put up on the Net by their websites and on youtube. That is a good indicator they are video acceptance. Now in their own presentations if you never see show their faces that says guidelines also.
By lifelong keeping my camera gloveboxed locked up, and a photo shy personal demeanor I have been privileged to be shown much giving the assurance that it would be kept confidential.
Not that I haven’t been photoed. Just this year got Sheriffs Office full face digital photoed, and full hands and fingers digitized for a CPP renewal. Means forwarded to, and investigated by both the FBI and Homeland.
I agree. Absolute Tyranny. We are being treated like ranch cattle and the outcome will be a surprise to most. I’m an “info warrior” and an American patriot. I will fight for freedom. (to gasify!) They can pull my gasifier from my cold dead hands !!
Guys – I have to confess that I’m a bit puzzled by some of the rhetoric I’ve read on this site. I sense that some of you are eager to spread the good news about free energy available via gasification (I count myself in that group), whereas others would prefer to keep it a secret – or at least keep secret the fact that they are using wood gas to power their vehicle. In fact, when I first joined this site, I was naively thinking that I’d encounter a group of like-minded folks that would be happy to share my Kickstarter campaign with their friends to help raise a few bucks to create a film that would tell the story of gasification. But I can only conclude that some of you must have had a negative reaction from local law enforcement or have concerns along those lines. In any case, I still hold out hope that some of you will be supportive of the idea – at least going as far as sharing the link with a few friends or perhaps even donating a dollar to the campaign. (I’d much prefer to have a lot of people donate a tiny amount than have just a few backers that donate a ton of money.)
Real sorry for any misunderstanding . Yes there are a few folks on the site that had rather not publicize their gasification projects and I fully understand their reasons . On the other hand there are lot of us that are public with it and I fill we are spreading the word of gasification every day . Not only do we talk the talk we also walk the walk by driving carbon neutral daily . I have driven about 500 miles this week carbon neutral . May I ask how many you or your partners have logged this week .
To my knowledge none of the members on the web site have ask for any donation to complete their projects or to publicize it. We spend a lot of time hitting the junk yards gathering material like old hot water tanks , well and air tanks recycled drums etc etc. While looking ate the picture of your project truck I see none of the recycled material that we are accustom to working with.
The vehicle that holds the Salf Flat record was built out of recycled materials under a shed with a dirt floor on good days, and a mud floor on wet days .
Again ,I hope there is no misunderstanding but I think this group is spreading the word of gasification by their actions . Most might be like me . The main reason for gasification is the lack of money ( saving on gasoline dollars )
We do wish you the best and I tried to help with your event by suggesting to post it on the site so thousands could take a look .
I do wish you could drop by here or make the Argos event . Sure would like to meet ya .
Hello Dennis,
I am too broke to be sending money,but if I had money I would surely be sending some your way. I am hooked on spreading the word to everyone I meet. I get 90% positive feedback. I have spent more than many on my gasifier and had to stop for 2 months because of “no funds”. I really am impressed by your machine and wish you all the luck.(except breaking Wayne’s record).Just kidding. I can see why you would be a little defensive about some of the remarks,but this site is full of hard working gassers that struggle without help from “other funds”. I believe strongly in what you are doing. If you end up with leftover funds…send em my way. I am struggling too financially to keep working on this. My goal is to build these great machines for like minded people that can’t build themselves. I too am in the NW. Best of luck!! Gordon
Chris,
Sorry about my political rant. I’m a frustrated American Patriot.
Hi Dennis,
I read your kick starter pitch and it probably is well worded for the crowd it is reaching out to. For myself my reaction was" and then what?" It seems it is all about advocacy and not at all about doing real work. Put 10000 miles on it, tour around, tear it apart, pull a trailer, visit Argo, commute for a year, anything but a dead end one time speed test. I don’t think the world needs another never to be reproduced concept car. Show them a real vehicle doing things they recognize and maybe you will turn some heads of those who matter. My two cents. My Canadian research has led me to believe a legal woodgasser here is impossible so I prefer stationary and agricultural purposes.
Best regards, David Baillie
I appreciate all the feedback. I’m starting to understand the “culture” of this site a bit better as I read more of your posts. It’s clear that this is a very independent and self-sufficient group – values I can appreciate. I should clarify a couple things about my project. First off – I don’t own the vehicle. And the fellow who does own it (the same guy who designed and built it) has loaned it to a vocational college for the past few years, so the kids can work on it as a project vehicle. The money I’m trying to raise is primarily for the guys who know how to make films (that definitely wouldn’t be me) – but a little bit of the money is for the students to be able to buy parts. When we are ready to shoot the film, I will get to borrow the beast for a couple weeks. So far, I haven’t even had the opportunity to drive it. Now that I’ve retired, I’d love build up a gasifier of my own some day. But in the meantime, I have to settle for envying you guys. My original idea for the film was to use the vehicle to drive from Seattle to Florida and back on wood. But I as told that it wouldn’t be interesting enough for the film.
As for the “purpose” of the documentary we’re making – it’s really not about trying to set a new land speed record. I’m hoping we can produce a film which would serve as an educational resource. What I’d really like to see happen is that law-makers and local city councils would learn enough about gasification of biomass that they’d start embracing the notion of using wood waste, agricultural waste and municipal waste to generate electricity with large stationary gasification facilities. There are some areas where communities have built co-gen gasifier plants at lumber mills to generate the electricity and heat needed to run the mill – with enough left over to sell some to the grid. So THAT’S the purpose of the film – to encourage that sort of use of the technology. But if we just talk about gasification in the film, the audience might find it a bit too slow to keep their attention. So the notion of challenging the land speed record is intended to make it more interesting by building a little bit of tension. That’s why I’d really love to have one or more of you guys show up at Bonneville Sept 12th - 15th for World of Speed, to make it more of a competition. Now THAT would make the film a lot more fun.
As for sending money to the Kickstarter – I’d much prefer 1,000 backers pledging one dollar than one backer pledging $1,000. So if you wanted to back the project at the $1 level, that would be great. Not that I’d turn down the $1,000 pledge if someone felt inclined. Ha.
I will try to make the Argos event, but it will be without a truck and probably without a camera guy. But I’d like to meet some of you and see what you’ve accomplished with a bit of creative scrounging and ingenuity.
It looks like Bonneville may have to wait a year. The Kickstarter didn’t get fully funded. So unless we can line up a sponsor for the project, it’s going to have to be bumped back a year. I’m still working on trying to make it to the meetup.
McQ
They can pull my gasifier from my cold dead hands 
!!