Charcoal powerd Seat Arosa 1.0

The damn light bulb on my head just went on! The rotor has this long metal part seen on the right on the uper picture that alows the computer to have time to decide when to set a spark becouse it takes some time for the metal part to pass by the pin in the destributor. Is the light bulb on my head glowing right?:wink:

There is alsow one thing l have noticed here. The car sometimes does NOT have max power on full throtle but a bit sooner. My guess is that the changed vacuum when driveing on chargas and maybe something else messes with the timeing. Is there a way to overryde the computer completly?

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Kristijan, scroll up and youā€™ll find this suggested by Bruce.

And Tom, Iā€™m far from expert in this field, but your explanation seems fine to me.

Christian, I think I can see your bulb glowing from here :smile:

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I did see that suggestion but l was thinking more like unhooking some cables rather thain buying an expensive tool :slightly_smiling: [quote=ā€œbsoutherland, post:96, topic:2181ā€]
Something was bothering me so I just reread the whole string and found the troubling part, ā€œNo problem with freazing water.ā€ Since you are no longer using steam are you no longer using water to cool your tuyeres? If so, how does the copper avoid catastrophic oxidation?
[/quote]
The reactor was rearanged and it now has 4 nozzles made out of one heavy steal pipe with more thain 1cm thich walls so it has so much mass that can not heat to the point of oxidizeing

This $53 scanner claims to have full 1551 functionality: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Super-Professional-Memo-Scanner-VAG505-OBD2-Diagnostic-Code-Reader-For-VW-AUDI-/291625178223?hash=item43e637146f:g:V7cAAOSwyQtVhMqx&item=291625178223&vxp=mtr

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Are you adjusting the air fuel mixture at FOT while driving?

Yes but I found that once set the setting stays the same no matter the throtle position or rpm. I alsow found out that if swich to gasoline (like on a steep hill or when i have to drive off fast due to thick traffic) and then swich back to chargas the engine runs realy strong (not like on gasoline but still powerfull) for about a half a minute and thain it goes to normal chargas power. I think the computer is playing tricks on me :unamused:

edit: just realized what is most likely the cause of that power burst. The gasoline exhaust has water in it. The extra hydrogen must have given that short impulse of power. I am thinking to put a bit of water to the intake after allā€¦

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Hello Kristijan.

The above seem to happen with a wood gasifier also . I have always thought it had to do with the resident time of the gas reacting with the char while it is still white hot . ??

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Hi, Kristijan!
13.2.2016
So it turned out to be a MPFI, computer controlled.
That eliminated the mechanical centrifugal timing advance below the high-tension rotor and cap, lower down on the distributor shaft?
Still there is probably a pulse counter, which determines the motorā€™s RPM and a marker for top dead center; otherwise the computer has no reference from which to calculate spark advance.
The computer does no physical movements, as you seem to have found out already.

But the slots on the distributor ā€œfootā€ gives you an opportunity to convince the computer, that the top dead center is earlier or later (back) than the setting for gasoline! Screws locked slightly loose, and you can adjust the top center signal to the computer!

This way you can find an optimum setting for chargas and petrol at your will, with a stiff strand wire control from the dashboard (control panel).
Max

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Iā€™m also thinking about the right amount of water at the right time so as not to flood things and mess up my filter. Iā€™m thinking about using a pump and a mist nozzle like they use for cooling outdoor areas in very hot climates or misting vegetables at the market. I would adjust the pump with a pulse width modulator speed control to find the optimum flow for 1/2 throttle. Then use a micro switch on the throttle to power the pump when at 1/2 throttle or more.
Another option is to run the air intake through a chamber filled with some kind of moistened media that is heated by the exhaust. The media prevents sloshing, and moisture is only being drawn in with intake air. Water could also be dripped into the air intake line or into the exhaust at a position that would allow excess water to drain away when not being drawn in by the air or recirculating exhaust gas. I look forward to hearing how adding some water or steam works for you.

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Back in the 50ā€™s we took a glass jar with a screw on lid and put two holes in the lid. We put a tube through each hole. One tube just penetrate the surface of the lid and the other went to the bottom of the jar. Hooked a manifold vacuum line to the top tube. With water in the jar the air coming in bubbled the water creating a vapor that was pulled of the top tube. It improved engine performance somewhat TomC

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Yep Tom, I made a water injector in the mid 80ā€™s Used an aquarium air stone on the under water hose. Then I installed a pcv valve in the jar lid to limit vacuum at idle. Ill bet that setup would work good for misting a gasifier.

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ā€œOldtimeā€ water delivery: Use a carburettor!

A carburettor sized as for gasoline use on the same motor; now it would have half the flow velocity, if the ā€œgasbranchā€ (the other is air) used equally much air as it delivers gas.
But the air consumption is ~60% of the gas delivery.

So, on the ā€œgas-sideā€ 50% of what the motor takes, and that times 0,6.
This is the actual flow: 0,5 X 0,6 = 0,3 of what the motor takes.

This max flow is floppy and does not add too much resistance to the air intake.

Additionally, one can reduce the water consumption by putting a copper (enamelled) wire in the main nozzle in the float chamber, the one delivering to the channel leading to the throat nozzle.

Copper wire diameter 0,7 of the nozzle diameter will leave a passage of 50% of the original.

In winter time one can leave out the float and deliver the water from a tank lower than the carburettor with a 24Volt windscreen pump. Delivers enough, lasts longer.
Delivering restricted (1-2mm) at the float chamber bottom; flows back when shut down.
Overflow hose (4-5mm) at desired level, self-regulating, slurps air bubbles into the overflow/return hose going back to the tank.

Motor coolant (copper) line melts frozen tank.
Well designed in less than 15 minutesā€¦ if 5 liters,
at -35 degrees Celsius.

Max

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Iā€™m lost here. I get the water carburetor for adding water to the intake of a gasoline fueled engine to slow the flame and allow ignition advance which will squeeze a little more power out of the gasoline, but in the charcoal gasser we are trying to find a way to add water to the primary air intake on the gasifier reactor. Can we install a water carburetor on the reactor intake? Is a water flow equal to 1/2 of gasoline flow the right amount to introduce for optimum cracking into H & O?

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Why not. I think that is what Max is writing about.

Hi, Bruce!

I must be a bad writer, as I cannot make it clear that the numbers presented only handles the air flows through the two main branches: Through gasifier for gas, and secondary air to the motor as the second branch.

As my presentation shows, only about 0,3 of the total flow the motor takes is passing through the water carburettor.
(0,3 of gas + air, in total)

Now, if the the water carburettor is unmodified, it would
(assuming same sp.gravity for water and gasoline)

consume 0,3 of the amount gasoline it would consume directly coupled to the motor.

One more time:

The same carburettor consumes 0,3 times the water amount in front of the gasifier, as it would consume gasoline in front of the motor directly.

Air flow 0,3 versus airflow 1,0 is reflected in fluid consumption directly.

Have I brought it some light?

Max

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I find drawings are helpful TomC

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Yes, thanks Max. I think I follow.
If I attach a water fed carburetor, with appropriately reduced main nozzle, to the top of a clear jar that is being evacuated at 5 inches of water column will I see a mist of water entering the jar and be able to get an approximate idea of the amount of water that would be supplied to my reaction zone?

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Hi, Bruce1
14.2.2016
Presumedly so; a carburettor throat works like a barberā€™s spray inside a tube; the elements are the sameā€¦

On the other hand, you have hardly as much as 5"
pressuredrop between a water carburettor and the inlet on a gasifier!
(flow : area = pressure drop)

If the the carburettor is appropriate for gasoline on the same motor, then the velocity will be modest and lower.

Within a wide range, the water percentage will be in proportion to the airflow; thatā€™s the aim with all carburettorsā€¦
Max

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Water is heavier and more viscus than gasoline.
I am not sure if the carb as built will draw water however.
Might require a larger main jet or bored out emulsion tube.
I love the idea of a carb to meter water into the inlet of the gasifire.
Genius!

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Hi Wallace!
14.2.2016
You are taking against practical experiance!
Sp. weight about 25% heavier does not diturb the function!
Often a smaller watercontent needs a reduced nozzle-area!

Max

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