Yes, I know @TomC , said that too. If anyone is interested, I can do that too, but I’m quite satisfied, since I get maybe 5-8 times more water out of it now than before.
I looked in the book, they seem to have about 11-12% condensate of the wood consumption.
The upper column is insulated hopper, and the lower uninsulated hopper, quite a big difference, if anyone is interested.
I hasn’t driven that much yet, but seems to respond better and better idle. But got several puffs this morning, so I need to do something about the lid.
Good to know I’ve wasted money on another gadget K.
Just kidding. I already knew that because I stuck my in water and it still didn’t read 100 per cent. Good for ball parking though.
What is the moisture content of the weather where you live. Wet season?
Bob
Yes, it’s wet here, it’s been raining almost every day.
Do you think the condensation seems that much?
Yes, it’s possible, but shouldn’t I have noticed this before?
I seem to get less water in the condensation tank after the radiators now too.
This is very good, it means your hopper is getting the moisture water out before the cooling of the gases.
This is what is happening in my gasifier. I get soot and char mostly in my tank after the cooling tubes. Most of my water is being collected in my tar/water tank from the hopper. If the weather is really wet/ rainy or my wood is more then 20% moisture content I would see more water in the tank after the cooling rails and even more in the tar/water tank from the hopper. As long as the gutter system can handle the tar and water it is doing it’s job well. Now if you are getting water to the engine something in your system is not working right, or the wet weather or wet wood is more then you gasifier system can handle. This is not likely be cause of your pass performces of the running of your vehicle.
I have learned to do a complete clean outs more often on my gasifier. This keeps everthing running smoother for me. Just saying. But I do not disturb my charcoal bed above my grate! Once I get my char bed settle in I try not to miss it up. [ I only use my Wayne Keith poke rod (Edit by Wayne, FEELER Rod) with the rod tip that will go through the holes in my grate. I am very care NOT to just poke around hard in my char bed AREA. I gently push my rod down into the restriction opening to feel the condition of my char bed to the grate and through the holes in the grate like Wayne does. ] To see if it is loose or tight. I know you know all these things. But others reading this might not know this.
I think you are a excellent operator of gasifier systems.
My conclusion is your wet weather and maybe wetter wood then normal. I would try the complete gasifier system clean out and see if this changes anything. I use a water hose to do it correctly on my gasifier. Also start with fresh hay in my filter or what you use to filter. This has stopped a lot of the operating problems for me, just keeping it clean out more often.
Bob
Hey Bob
I don’t call it a poker rod anymore but a feeler rod. This is to feel the state of the char bed .
I also carry a grate shaker rod on board but use it very little . Maybe about once in 20 light ups .
SWEM
Okay FEELER Rod it is. But I do Poke with it a little knocking the tared up chunks off the hopper wall. Yes the same here, I have my grate shaker but use it very little. Watching you Wayne every morning when we are at Argos Wood Gas Meetup, getting your truck ready to light up has taught me a lot.
Bob
Yes they were very good times Mr. Bob
Hmm, it’s not going so well for me, the gasket that I have between hoppers, doesn’t seem to be able to withstand the heat.
Now it’s leaking all around, wondering what I should use to make it tight, the gasket I have now is 20mm in diameter, (3/4").
Red silicone? (Biltema)
You can easily make a cast-in-place gasket, put silicone in place, “comb” it with a spatula/ piece of plastic jug, to correct shape, let dry for 24-48 hours, and you have a gasket that can be disassembled- reassembled many times.
I believe you know this already, just a suggestion.
I see things dont go well for ypu just looking at the picture… not the truck, but the frozen ground…
How about a bicycle innertube as a gasket?
Preferable a older “stretchy” one, not the new plastic/rubber that just rip’s.
I have a lid for an oil pan, between the hopper, so it must be a fairly large diameter on the gasket…
I’ve tried making one out of stove rope and red silicone, see if that works.
Jan, earlier I forget to mention I cut the lip off of an ordinary barrel and forced it on to the “pannmur”-barrel. It acts as a spacer to be able to use a thin gasket and the lock-ring.
Now that you say it, I remember you telling me that before.
The edge of the cover that I welded there is quite deep, 15mm disappears in the recess.
But I hope I got it tight now.
I think I understand why the car ran so well for a while last spring, you wondered if it was a cliffhanger, I tried some rocket fuel that @Bobmac uses, but didn’t get any direct results, it probably came a little after a while.
Getting somewhat the same result now, with the new condensation, hope it lasts, but usually goes away after a while.
Jan do you always fill to the brim, or selectively fill up depending on the distance?
Depends a bit on the distance, now with the new hopper, I’m learning again, it doesn’t work as usual now.
Jan, when I mix the rocket fuel for startups, , I will start with about 5" to 6" of torified chared wood from when I finished my last run. I try not to leave to much wood in the hopper at the end of my run. On starting up after lighting my gasifier up I pore in some of the larger chunks 1" and larger on top of the torifed wood about 2 gallons then add wood, and more popcorn sized charcoal mixed in. The smaller charcoal mixs down into the voids. This is about 2 gallons of charcoal popcorn size or larger. Anything smaller then that I use in my charcoal gasifier. This gets my gasifier up a going very quickly and going down the road. I do not live in flat land area, lots of 6 to 8% grades to climb in this Upper Columbia River Basin and also mountain roads to climb if not just driving to town or dring up the river or down the river area. Wenatchee is only 4 minutes away about the drive Wayne makes down his driveway to get to the main road to his town.
Bob
Ok,thanks Bob.
I tried having in charcoal before, but had about 3-4 liters (1 gallon) at the top on top of the wood.
I didn’t notice any difference then, but sometimes in the mornings the car accelerated as if with petrol in low gears, I never found why.
That’s what the car does now with the new hopper, so I’m guessing I had charcoal or very dry wood before when it went like that.
But you probably already have better condensation than I had, so you already have that engine speed.