I spent about 4 hours the last couple days switching my wood gasifier in the Tracker over to my charcoal gasifier. It actually went a lot smoother than I expected. I still have to hook up the instrumentation to it and the water drip but I already flared it off this afternoon.
This pic shows the charcoal gasifier ready to install after the wood gasser is removed.
I am using the same furnace heat exchangers for cooling the gas and the same straw filter as the wood burner and the same blower and flare setup. This makes the switch over easy now and when I go back to burning wood again.
Here the gas pipes from the cyclones to the coolers are installed.
Here is the first flare using only one 12v bilge blower for suction. It took 2 minutes and 45 seconds for the flare to light and it would stay lit after 3 and a half minutes. Before you chastise me for flaring inside I have to tell you that I had 2 man doors open for a good cross draft and I only flared for less than 4 minutes because I did not expect that tall of a flare that close to the ceiling. Then I went home for supper.
HOW SWEET IT IS!!! That little Tracker was the neatest woodgas vehicle before. And you mad it MORE sweat. I like the decrease in weight. How is the temperature coming out of the cyclones? Do you need the radiators if you weren’t going back to woodgas.
You used that “forge” style nozzle. I didn’t understand; does that spin from the air or do you manually spin it to break up glassy stuff? ( I forgot the word for it)
What kind of top do you have on the Tracker. I’ve looked at several this winter and I don’t like the way the convertible tops fit. Looks like you have something solid like a sheet of something.
As expected— GREAT JOB TomC
Thanks Tom.
I don’t have the thermocouples hooked up yet and I did not run it very long so I don’t know temps yet. The nozzle slug turns by hand and has to stay in the closed position while running to maintain the clearance needed for air velocity. I made the top out of 3/8th inch plywood
Hi Don, when you say half the weight what does that work out to? Or is it just a best guess? Looks beautiful. I hope to get to that level with my builds someday.
Best regards, David Baillie
Nice Don, looks “genie type”. I have a question for you, related to your square wood gasifier. Is the hearth also square? I was eager to ask you that, but hadn´t had the chance. Sorry because this chat is for your charcoal project, but this was my chance. Thanks in advancce.
