Anyone rejetted a NG HVAC unit or NG water heater to handle wood gas?

Off Topic
#1

Just curious. Has anyone re-jetted a NG HVAC unit or NG water heater to handle wood gas?

1 Like
#2

I have seen a few videos of propane jets running different things. Dont see why it wouldnt work. You would just have to have some kind of continuous source. Preferably not under pressure.

#3

How will this be monitored. What will happen if your machine crashes and the flare/pilot light goes out? If that happens you could end up with mass amounts of unburnt CO floating and if the gasifier recovers and the flare is not lit could be an issue.

Not to deter you I get asked this all the time and am afraid to even try for these reasons. If you can come up with a system that will work safely that would be really cool to see.

2 Likes
#4

Good questions. I’m just pondering ideas. Some of my thoughts turn into nothing. My mind is always going : )

Along similar lines, my waste oil burner uses propane to start, but the safety valve shuts off if cadmium sensor does not detect flame. I use a Beckett controller.The delays are adjustable. It controls the propane valve, air valves and relays.

#5

I’ve wondered if an oil fired hot water heater would not be a better candidate. Seeing the fan driven burner on them I can’t help but think of the flare stack turned on its side. Burn chamber seems more robust as well maybe better suited to woodgas then a propane unit? Late night musings

2 Likes
#6

I have thought about putting a large gas burner in my waste oil boiler. Use the wasted heated at the engine to further heat the boiler system.

#7

The conventional woodgas wisdom as I understand it on this one would be to use the heat to heat up a reservoir of water externally, safely far away from the house in batch mode and pipe it on demand into a heat exchanger inside at the furnace in the plenum or through a plate exchanger at the hot water tank. Saves you most of the safety concerns accomplishes the goal, violates no codes keeps insurance man happy and no risk of “an earth shattering kaboom, where is my earth shattering kaboom”. Again, late night musings
David

2 Likes
#8

David,

Now you’ve gone and done it - I’ll have the phrase “Illudium Q36 explosive space modulator” running through my head the rest of the day . . . .

2 Likes