Hi Bruce, I surely welcome your thoughts and opinions. What I was thinking was the possibility of tar building up in a compressor - reducing interior volume/increasing compression and sticking valves to the point of possible ignition of components in the tar and gas. Woodgas is able to ignite from compression. I had thought it was around 17:1. I did a quick search and came up with just such a statement from Chris S. Wood gasifier octain - #5 by kmrland Other sources also list that the octane of woodgas is about 104 octane. When I first heard this back a decade ago I thought of the 68 Corvette I have buried in the barn. It’s 327 350hp motor needed gasoline with over 100 octane to keep from knocking.
I would think that someone with a compressor connected to directly draw gas from a gasifier would not have a means of knowing that the mixure was leaned from a low fuel or clogged feed.
The explosion that I mentioned happening that launched a gasifier happened to Wayne Baker. I can send you his contact info off list should you like to talk to him.
Your thoughts?
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