Here is a new topic for discussing, alternate fuels and processing methods for gasification. You are safe to think outside the box here.
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Hi Matt i like this study idea for sure, allso can you add a study thread for augering or auto refill of any type posible, while driveing down the road.?thanks
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Just use this thread. We can explore other fuels and with that generally will come the way process those fuels for use in gasification.
Another part of my debate over chip fuels verses pellets is the auger system. This is also generally left out of the energy input to make chip fuels work. Great if your gravity feeding, but for an everyday off grid system? Nope you will want an auger feed and this requires at least a 1 hp motor and this is only going to be marginal. Chip auger feeds need to run faster than a pellet feed as well. They are constantly running.
Where as a pellet auger like on the last Flex Power unit had, I used a cheap windshield wiper motor and it had plenty of power and only ran a 1/3 of what the chip machines volume rate was.
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Has anyone ever thought of building an oil drip in a gasifier to increase mileage and to use up burnt motor oil. people give me used oil by the barrel and I have 8 to 10 barrels around. Do you think it would increase the mileage or would it just be a waste of effort.
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Okay Thanks Matt, here is a thought or two that I have been thinking about for a long time on a hopper feeder for wood chunks, big and small.
Everyone know how a cement truck hopper works it mixes turning one direction and the cement comes out if the mixing tub/hopper is reversed and rotates in the opposite direction. Also the speed of how fast the cement comes out by how fast it turns. The point is, if it could be in closed tube and fitted to the hopper it could lift the wood up and into the hopper to feed it when the hopper is getting low on wood.
The problem I see is how do you refill the hopper and the tube. Something like this could double the driving range on a gasifier truck. But it would also take up place for extra wood.
The other idea was a long box with a screw plate device the would move the wood across the box and into the hopper. It would sit parallel to the top of the bed of the truck with pace under it for storing wood. Problem with this is the moisture from the hopper will bring the moisture content of the wood up.
Maybe I stay up to late at night thinking about theses things. Right now the only thing that will give me high mileage between refueling with wood is a bigger hopper or driving at a slower speed.
Bob
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Im also doing it. Simple needle valve drip into the intake. You can run all sorts of fuels, this way, Diesel, Kerosene, veggy oil, waste engine oil, ethanol, and cleaners. I have dripped that Purple Power into the engine this way for cleaning. If you ever encounter a blown head gasket, the green piston and valves are generally where the leak is. But you also note they are spotless!!
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That type of a transporter could posible work who knows without finding a simpler way too test the movement, though, i agree were dealing with the weight and space battle as well. One idea floating in my bonette.Is too build two slideing hopper doors about 12 " apart and open the top slider put a bag of wood in shut the top slide door then open the bottom door too let the wood fall in the hopper.It could eliminate smoke while manual refilling, and later be made auto refill posibley if space was worth it. could posibly shoot a bag through the cab in a half bag size channel with auto push button slide gate doors too keep smoke in hopper while refueling.?? That would beat going out poping open a smokeing barrel along the road. Plus it would be a bit less smoker air too breath while refueling.
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It occours to me that an auger is very similar to a certin type of shredder. If you made the auder flights and the end of the tube reallly heavy, and withe sharp edges, it would shear the wood at the same time move the bits up into the hopper.
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If we had that chunker we wouldent get are old age exersize. here is another easy fast processors,https://youtu.be/7GnVQajyRn4
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Years ago at Argos there was a talented young man with a new gasifier that had it’s first fire up at Argos. He removed a canvas from the back of the truck to show an auger that he crafted an was going to do what you mentioned.
Check this machine out at the 7:15 minute marker.
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Andy; on my way to Green Bay there is a lot where they have a huge shredder. They use a big front end loader to fill it with old pallets and grind them up in chips. They usually have a pile of chips bigger than a semi-trailor. I don’t know what they do with the chips, but I really wonder about the nails in the pallets. TomC
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Kevin/ Europeans; Most of these rebak’s are in Europe. Some machines are used in place of “chipper” to get rid of brush. What makes them so popular for fire wood-- do they use augers to feed their furnaces?? Or do they bad them and sell to village people for fire wood-- much easier to handle bags than “split” logs. TomC
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Hi Tom Merry Christmas around the corner, yes sir i bet they sold them cut offs for fire wood, i have too addmit if built close enough too Jo’ reback the chunks come out short enough for gasifier vehicle fuel. Got too ask Jo’ ! how he measure his blades too end up shorter chunks, before i build one evenually, looks much faster on the smaller chunking.
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Great topic. Lots of latitude for different ideas to be thrown in here. I like the idea of range extension by auger feed or other means.
The old stationary systems would have a double door system to drop batch charges in. The Weiss system preheats / torrifies the biomass in the auger feed, which significantly improves efficiency and quality of the gas.
As for feeding chips or rough materials, I like this idea.
http://www.ftlcomm.com/ensign/wallace/wallaceList/wallace041/woodChips.html
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I like the homemade flex coupler. Thanks!
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Jacob i pour used oil over the top of a full hopper of wood and the truck runs real good with more power.
I have poured up to a quart in the hopper at one time, try it i thank you will see difference in the way it runs.
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Before @Chris build his chunker he was cutting up pallets and burning them in the WK Gasifier. When I bought the truck and tore it down to rebuild the gasifier and fire tube I found pallet nails in the bottom of the ash area above the ash ammo boxes. Lots of nails just sitting there. It did not hurt anything. A sawsall with a metal blade and a small table saw and electric chain saw. You are set to drive across the country. Oh yes and a magnet to get the nails out of the ash and charcoal when you dump your gasifier. Screen the charcoal from the ashes and reuse the charcoal with your wood at start ups for a fast light up. Adding charcoal in your wood mix really gives you a better quality of richer wood gas which gives you more power for the engine to run on. My WK is a wood/charcoal Gasifier now. No modification were needed I just add charcoal to my mix of wood.
Bob
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Ok yes i see the chunks at the 7 : 15 minut marker, thats a different looking style chunker.$$$$$
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