Yes Kristijan, I have my valve hooked now for the lean gas and now your Idea would work for the rich mixing, Then I would have full control of manual mixing or auto mixing my wood gas with the automixer still inservice. I like that better then the way I was spoofing the automixer before. Thanks.
Bob
1 Like
Bob, unless you’ve changed it completely from what I had, you can lean out the automixer just by introducing a leak upstream, which is the purpose of that hybrid air valve. Crack that open, lean condition. Very simple. The automixer will keep it exactly proportional to that chosen lean setting.
4 Likes
You could also bias it rich on the same principle? But it would be slightly more complicated, the syngas being drawn under vacuum, probably have to alter the balance of the automixer?
Just thinking out loud here, but by altering the balance of the automixer directly, adjustments could be made in both directions?
You could by restricting the incoming air, but in practice there’s no reason to bias it rich. It already is a 1 to 1 ratio, which is a little on the rich side for woodgas, but not by much… I believe the perfect mixture is 1.1 to 1. Don’t get caught up in a gauge reading, listen to the motor.
The only reason to richen it is to compensate for leaks, which it’s better to just fix.
3 Likes
Was just considering what Wayne was describing of start up and operation.
Then if there was some other mechanical issue, you would be able to compensate on the fly, might be a valuable function, while still enjoying the automixer consistency.
The automixer startup and operation speaks for itself. Doesn’t get any simpler.
If you want details on the function, there’s a whole thread over here:
6 Likes
Yes chris, the 2" valve is still there, and feeds directly into the wood gas line. Added a 3/4" line that feeds in just after the ford throttle body mixer. I can add more air now with out changing the gas before the automixer. The two 2" valve would whistle a high pitched sound when using it. The 3/4 gives me better control on leaning the gas out. I added 2 tennis ball popoff valves, one out top of the mixing unit you built and the other in the gas line before the ford throttle body. I’m still trying to fine tune the truck for more miles per pound of wood. That’s why I asked the question on how Wayne runs his trucks.
I still want to drive this truck back to Argos and alot of those miles on wood. It’s a big goal I know. Lots of high Mountain passes on I-90 interstate and to cross the great divide, hybred running for sure, and freeway driving, most of it is 80 mph. Not on just wood that’s for sure. But at 65 mph. I have a 35 plus mile range in the hopper. I would like to increase that closer to 50 miles.
The Automixer works great, especially at stop lights and slow driving around the 25 mph areas. I do not have to make any adjustments just drive. I STILL look down at the gas switch to made sure it’s off. Living the SWEM dream.
Bob
4 Likes
You are right on that one Chris, had a leak back at the passenger tail light where the cooling rack tree hooks up to the piping below, just a loose clap. But it was hard to find. Smoke was going up in side the fender and coming up by the gasifier area when the pusher blower would be running by it’s self. That leak gave me some lean gas all the time. Tighten the clap back up and it was back to normal. The bailing wire rusted off that was holding the pipe up tight to the frame. Fresh bailing wire wrap around the pipe and tied and it was ready to go.
Bob
3 Likes
Bob,
As for bailing wire, I worked with my Grandfather and my neighbor who were both big grain and cattle farmers until the age of 23 when I started my sawmill. Both carried an ample supply of bailing wire in their pick-up’s just in case something broke down. Both farms were held together by bailing wire and it was used on everything that broke. From tying up broken parts, fencing, and welding, it was used as a temporary solution that later became perminant, until the bailing wire itself failed, only to be replaced with a fresh “new” piece of rusty old bailing wire. They were both specialists in this simple and inexpensive technology and would have never thought twice about using anything else…
Bryan
7 Likes
We say wire is a farmers weld. There is a peace of it on every corner of our property, ready for a quick fix. Wire and bale string.
6 Likes
Ha! Ha! After we were forced to stop cow-farming back in 2000 it did not take long for all of the baling twine and bale-wire to get used up.
My go-too now is a spool of tempered aluminum alloy electric fencing wire. Better all in all. Holds tight. Does not rust stain. Rust thin and later break. Some been lasting for over 15 PNW wet years now.
Stainless steel repair wrapping wire here too. Too spring-ing stiff for most use. Exhaust-systems, exhaust-systems. Some hot part of gasifier systems fix-'ems use.
Oh . . . pass on the cheaper very soft all-pure aluminum fencing wire. It twist work hardens and breaks.
tree-farmer Steve unruh
3 Likes
I keep a couple rolls of tie wire for tying rebar around. It even comes coated to eliminate rust stains.
2 Likes
While we are on the subject of baling wire repairs, I ran across this video, and after watching a few times made my own wire clamper. Works great too.
10 Likes
Hello all .
I have been real busy and haven’t done much posting but have been burning wood and putting down a lot of miles . 
BBB
9 Likes
I was just wondering why your jld temp gauge flashing off and on and where your temp thermal couple is located
1 Like
It isn’t flashing, that’s a rolling shutter effect.
The thermocouples on that truck were mounted on the hopper and at the grate.
1 Like
Ok I just wondered cous I have a few of them they are pretty decent control ers ! Well hopefully I’ll have my unit up and and going soon working on stationary unit to run 454 spinning ,30kw gen for water heater and electric figerd I burn a shit ton of wood 8 months a season maswill get something for my hard work heat with wood last 10yeas and my electric is insane 300 ! I’m done !!
2 Likes
Hey Chris it’s Paul I was just wondering has anybody tried perlite for fire tube lining
Perlite is pretty fine and if one were to use it in a gasifier system as an insulator, the welds would have to be perfect or it may plug your system, real quick. So say one were able to get the welds perfect, you have to remember, woodgas eats mild steel. Builders here with many miles on their vehicles are patching holes because of the corrosive properties.
What would plug the system! Perlite can be mixed with sodium silicate known as water glass and can be formed as a hard shell. It can withstand temperatures over 2000 degrees
1 Like