Sometimes I put the hot coals in a barrel cover it. It is easier to water dose it. I am planning on using it damp anyways. No dust or fuss with water drip in the gasifer I have found. We will talk later on what Kristijan and I have found on this way of using the charcoal for gasification.
It was a nice fire ring lunch with the grandchildren the garbage can is full and the rest of the charcoal is in the wheel barrel tube in water. The brands back in the fire ring for the next burning.
Okay let talk wood.
QUESTION: Now if I have three identical pieces of green wood types, size, and shape. I dry one, retort one, and put all three under water being held under with weight with a string tied to fhem so they are just under the surface of the water. Which one do you think will sink first and stay under the water on the bottom?
Edit: Correction made per Steve U.
Bob
How do you empty that thing when it is hot with coals? Is that just a 55 gallon barrel bottom or a fire pit ring? I was toying around with the idea of making charcoal while boiling sap.
It is from the ground up to where you see it. It is a old pressure tank vessel. Easy to scoop the coals out with a square tip scoop shovel. I move the garage can when full with a hand cart and lay it is its side and shovel the coals/Ash into my classifier/grinder. Nice engine grade fuel comes out the other end ready to use if you want damp charcoal. No dust when grinding I like that.
Bob
No dust is good for both breathing and not looking like you came out of a coal bin. Is there a thread I missed on using wet charcoal? Which I donât doubt works, but I had a heckuva time getting it to burn.
Kristijan started using moist charcoal on his last few builds. Go to his thread to learn more. I started using it instead of water injection. Yes I like the no dust look on my face and clothing.
You start your gasifer up on dry charcoal and then add the moist charcoal. This is being done on the down draft and cross diagonal draft charcoal gasifers. Not sure if it will work on a up draft, because I have not tried it.
Bob
Hey BobMac as I read it you are leaving the dried one and the retort converted one floating?
Seems youâd have to string hold them both submered also to even up your water contact factors.
S.U.
that makes sense. I had water running out of mine when I was grinding it in the meat grinder. But I was originally going to use it in the foundry, but it didnât really burn well, but that was updraft.
As we talked about how big of engines could be powered of charcoal i remembered this pic, if i remember correctly this bus had a engine displacement of 10 liters! Dont know if it had an inline/straight 8, but could be, Scania built them both as diesels and gasolines.
This bus carries a Svedlund charcoal unit. SJ (Statens JÀrnvÀgar, the state railways) used almost only charcoal gasifiers, even on big railcars.
It sure had to be refueled often, ofcourse there was refueling âstationsâ along the bus routes, this bus also had a big luggage rack at the roof, and a ladder to easy reach the charcoal bags, if going longer trips.
Also they used this gasifier trailers for easier services, just to change it out for a âfresh, filled upâ one at the end stop/garage.
Ok here Ive ran chips and charcoal back to back in the same gasifier.
Per Volume charcoal has roughly 1/3 longer run time and of coarse runs more stable producing more consistent power. Although the wood chips also do run stable enough to where I can walk away from this machine and this is really just mind blowing LOL. As these little machines run better on wood than any of my previous machines that were actually designed to run that fuel. hahaha. Today was good day
REALLY i think wood gasification is less wood consumming, than driving with charco/ it would take 4 hopper fill ups too create one hopper of charcoal is there were no losses grinding up charcoal sizing. AMMEN.
It is. but it is a more complicated design and more expensive equipment to process it. You just started with the best. The only other advantage would be that you are carrying less bulk and weight with char. You just started with the hardest design, and it works well for you.
Did you watch my video? That proves otherwise. I had a third longer run time on charcoal per volume. Per volume the charcoal is going to weigh less. however it is about 20 to 30% more energy dense pr lb. Then in the gasification process; wood gasification is not as efficient. Then add in the 10 to 20% boost with water injection the scales tip toward charcoal.
Now the process to get these fuels thatâs a different story.
