Where is the video posted? Ive been looking for one on Gary’s design. Though is seems pretty straight forward, a video would be great.
Chad T: I don’t know what specific video you are looking for but Gary Gillmore’s Youtube channel is http://youtube.com/user/ggilmoreyou
Still frustrated- I’m getting spectacular flares, but the engine I’m using doesn’t seem to like anything but petrol. I’ve still got a few more permutations to try. Where I did have a breakthrough was with a Sort of Rockety Stove with the facility to trap the charcoal- photo to follow, but it’s essentially a TLUD on it’s side so that I can feed one end with lengths of pallet scrap, and the charcoal drops into a sump at the other, giving a continuous burn.
Quick question: the test engine is a Kawasaki GA1400 129cc running at 3000 RPM- do engines this small work reliably with a Simple Fire, or is there any question of the gas flow being too low for the gasifier chemistry?
This size engine should run fine on charcoal gas.
When you flare the gas, does it go out or stay lit? If the gas stays lit, it is flammable enough to run an engine.
What size pipe do you use to get the charcoal gas to the engine? Do you use a ball or gate valve to control the air/gas mixture? Is this valve the same size as the gas line?
Smaller engines (like this one) can be harder to start on charcoal gas. Can you dribble some gasoline in the air mixture valve, leave it wide open and start the engine? Then wean it off of gasoline and onto charcoal gas?
Give it another shot.
Gary in PA
I’ll be giving it a few more shots. The gas flares beautifully, and I’m inclined to use it as a check of the gas quality and for troubleshooting:
Steady blue flame=perfection
Any other colour=contaminants
Grey core=moisture
Sparks=fines
Flame lighting back=air leak
Flame lifting off from nozzle=end of run for that load.
I’m currently using both ball and gate valves. The gas line is 25mm, the fittings are the readily available 22mm plumbing fittings, but with an internal constriction- I might try doubling up.
To be continued…
I AM THE GAWD OF HELLFIRE, AND I BRING YOU…
…well, controlled combustion and charcoal production in the Sort of Rockety Stove. It looks a bit weird, and sort of came together by good luck, rather than good judgement, but it’s stoked from the left with lengths of pallet scrap, the hot char falls into a sump, out of the way of primary air, and is harvested into the fire extinguisher on the right with a drawing rake. When it’s cooled, the char is light and crumbly- there seems to be a lot of fines, but maybe that’s just because a little fines goes a long way. To do… insulate the combustion zone, increase the time, temperature, and turbulence of the secondary combustion, and do something useful with the heat.
Easssssy Bryan, eassssy, We don’t want to attract too much negative attention. Winter has finally broken here in central PA and I have been making charcoal and getting my log splitter fired up. Here is a picture of my set up so you can compare it to what you are doing. The 6HP honda ran for over an hour and my gas outlet pipe only got warm. There is so much charcoal in the 16 gallon generator that it takes over an hour for enough of it to get used up to allow the heat through. Notice the exhaust gas return line and the ball valve to adjust the charcoal gas mixture to the engine air intake. I used a fan to get the fire going and purge all the air out of the generator and filter. (took about 4 minutes) Used a little squirt of gasolline to get the engine fired up then ran on charcoal gas for the next hour. The logs in the background came from a hybrid poplar I planted in 1983 and cut down this winter. I find it makes good generator fuel.
Gary in PA
Looking good Gary!!!
Hi Gary, Sounds like you’re getting some good runs. I love those clamps on the spring closures, where can I get some?
Thanks, Pepe
Working overtime at the day job, so I only had one quick attempt- I got as far as a chug-chug-chug, which is encouraging- my game plan is to get the engine starting and running reliably on LPG, and wean it onto char gas- as Gary said in the video, starting is a bit of a dance. I’ve managed to find a source of pallet scrap, and got a good run with the stove, so charcoal production is less and less of an issue.
Hi Gary; In one of your videos, you set out to split wood using the “simplest” gasifier. The gasifier is a 5 gallon bucket alone. You put the air inlet in the bottom and filled the bucket up with charcoal, and have an outlet in the top to feed the wood splitter engine. Is it possible to put the air inlet in the lid and pull the gas off the bottom using a grate above the outlet pipe to prevent it from becoming plugged. I have no intention of changing your design or debating it’s worth. I very much liked this video and see no reason to change it, BUT, for “show and tell” I would like to have the inverted version. I could run an engine off the “inverted simplified gasifier”, then visualize picking that gasifier up and set it into an Imbert-- showing what happens from the nozzles down to the gas outlet pipe. What do you think?
Hi Tom, I am torn between thinking “it will not work” to" maybe it could work". With the design you saw in the video, the oxidation lobe (fancy term for the fire) is stationary. Inother words, it will always be at the end of the nozzle and as the charcoal is consumed, more charcoal falls down to refill the void.
In your proposal, the oxidation lobe will be on top of the charcoal and the gases drawn down and out the bottom of the generator. This means the fire will have to move as the charcoal is consumed. Since the fire is on top of the charcoal bed, it will have to move down. As it moves further from the air inlet, the fire can also spread sideways in the generator too. Now the oxidation lobe is spread out, the sides of the generator get hot and the concentrated stream of air is directed at an ever widening zone of glowing charcoal. I really do not think it will work too well.
However, if you use multiple air inlets around the perimeter and keep a supply of charcoal above these nozzles to replenish any charcoal that is consumed, then it will work. But this is basically an Imbert design anyway.
The Simple Fire is designed to be a one nozzle, easy to build and run charcoal gasifier. Just split some more wood with it this evening. Took three pulls to get the engine running.
Take your idea and give it a try. You may just be on to something.
Just let us know how it works out.
Until later,
Gary in PA
" I am torn between thinking “it will not work” to" maybe it could work". […] Take your idea and give it a try. You may just be on to something.
Just let us know how it works out."
Hi Gary, hi everyone,
this is what I like so much about DOW: An open and friendly atmosphere and the willingness to share ideas and experiences… just great!
Best regards,
Sam (who is sad, that Argos is so far from Germany…)
Yes, yes, YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS. Finally got an engine running on char gas today- the attached photo was taken a few minutes after I turned off the propane that I started it on. Better than sex, and cheaper, and safer, and lasts longer, and lives up to expectations better. And the key to success was… a different engine. The original candidate was a little Kawasaki suitcase generator, chosen for quiet operation, but the Honda GS160 started much more readily on propane, and weaned onto char gas with a few minutes tweaking and kinking of the supply tube… but alas, much more noisily. I got about a half hour run under a 500W load, spent mostly jumping up and down, running round, and shouting “Yeeeeee Harrrrrrrr” before the neighbour looked over the fence, and I happily restored peace and quiet. Sooooooo… what did I learn?
*The engine ran well initially, but spluttered and misfired later into the run before the pipes got remotely warm- my first suspicion is moisture, judging by the amount of condensate that poured out of the pipework- a condenser and trap would seem to be essential.
*I need to work out what’s different about the suitcase. Any ideas? Lighter flywheel? Less compression strokes per pull on the cord? Less volume for mixing in the inlet passages?
*It’s fly ash, rather than smoke from the charcoal production that’s more likely to upset the neighbours. Any ideas on the best way to trap it in the next evolution of the Sort of Rockety Stove?
The stove is actually working quite well for a prototype- attached is a photo of a big bucket of char that used to be a pallet. It needs a higher flue with better turbulence and mixing, and a better charcoal harvesting chute, and I need to find an enthusiastic gardener who can put the charcoal fines into their compost… but I’ve just passed the first milestone on the journey.
To be continued…
(Other) Brian H.: Congratulations!
Brian, congrats on running on charcoal.
Where abouts in Britain are you?
Neil… I’m in the Thames Valley- I’ll PM you with more details.
Is it bad that I’m gonna have to Google where the Thames Valley is? I feel so ashamed to fly my Union Jack right now…
Neil… I’m always a little bit cagey about giving my location, but I’ve sent you a PM.
Finally got the Kawasaki suitcase running today- photos of the setup are attached, along with a photo of an extreme case of tuyere meltdown. It’s a lash-up, I know, with filters, exhaust recirculation, and a moisture trap still to come, but I’m learning the dance steps of getting the Kwacka engine started on propane, and weaning it over. Question- what to do with charcoal fines. I did have visions of gardeners scrambling for the fines to use as biochar, the reality was a lot of blank looks, soooooo… carbon negative would be nice, but I’d settle for carbon neutral. Has anyone had any success in trickling fines back into the combustion zone through the tuyere?
