Last year, before gasifier, I asked the inspector what would happen if I showed up with a gasifier on the bed next time. He told me I can carry any load i want, BUT it can´t be connected to the engine and load can not be bolted, only strapped.
A few weeks ago I took wife´s car for inspection. I asked the same guy again and he now told me to pull all the gear Authorities recently visited the inspection and he didn´t want trouble.
I think after 1975 the same rules applies all over the world: Engines have to be tested and certified for a particular fuel. In most countries woodgas is not an issue and there is just no common practice. In Sweden you can actually register your vehicle as woodgas powered, but 1975 is the limit year. Good and bad. I think Max once mentioned rules were a bit more forgiving in Finland.
I’ve discovered less hopper juice lately. Even less than post gasifier condensate.
It seems having only an inch from nozzles to firetube top makes my hopper circulation see a lot of heat radiation where it enters below the funnel fingers. Lower hopper is cone shaped in the same angle as the funnel. A one inch void carry tary steam that doesn’t collect in the gutter back to the firetube top and tar is baked under funnel fingers.
Today I punched all that hard tar away and went for a ride. Wow, the hopper was hot again. Lately the hopper walls was stone cold even after long runs. Now it’s really boiling in there again and that little juice can was almost full after only one hopper of wood.
BUT - the most important difference:
Power is up 10-20%.
Well, I hope this is the case. Influence of other temporary factors can of course be possible. Time will tell.
JO, this is interasting.
I think its safe to say the power boost is due to water vapor substituteing a part of flamable gases. But! As we talked about water dewpoint and related stuff at a nother thread, and knowing its realy cold up there in Sweden right now, the difference between hopper juice before and after the hopper cleaning shuld show in the condens tank. Did it?
Allso, did you notice any other problem before cleaning, like at longer idles etc?
Im curious becouse with reduced hopper condensate you are closer to my gasifier, and its interasting to compare
I collected a lot more hopper juice, yes. I haven’t checked the other tank yet, but I expect to see less there.
BUT- there is always a but I suspect since nozzles are so close to the lowest point of hopper circulation, some of the steam created in oxi zone will also follow and go upwards to be condensated towards the hopper wall. When I started fresh this summer with a clean hopper I know I collected more hopper juice than could possibly be only wood moisture.
No, I have never had any problems with ideling or after ideling.
Friday afternoon I stopped on my way home to buy a bottle of wine. I shut down, closed the valves and was back in the car in 3-4 min. Started right up on woodgas, same air setting I left it with, and drove off. No hesitation. I think the limit is about 5 min though. More than that and I have to hybrid for 10-15 sec when I run out of old woodgas. All of this is is with a fully warmed up gasifier, of course. When cold, a high idle seems to be what it takes to keep things going.
I think I know what you’re after: Oxi steam cooling the charbed.
However, less draw - less steam is made - less cooling.
I think it has more to to with the flywheel effect. A lot of hot metal close to the reduction helps for a little while when oxi heat are not enough. And of course a big gas reserve/hayfilter evens out differences in gas quality - another flywheel.
The only downside to preheat in this Imbert configuration is I could use variable nozzles.The charbed gets a little tight on short trips and loose in long ones. When cold, oxygene shrinks the char to much. Reaching full preheat air is so thin I get a little low on oxygene and the char making has a hard time keeping up. This is my theory anyways.
I know your gasifiers react the other way around but that might have more to do with low/high load.
You made my day with the video. Looking at a sucessfull DOW feels like siting next to the person driveing.
I never questioned your builds performance, or eaven less your honesty. Like l sayd before, since we have nearly identical hearts (well gasifier and human l guess ) and similar displacement motors it is a great platform to compare things like preheat, hopper condens, gas reseroars etc.
So, based on what l have seen, and to compare, l can allso idle for about 10 min before the engine starts to calf (gasifier too cold for good gas), but it is your driveoff that amazes me. I cant do that.
I think the main reason is you have a 100l (?) Hayfilter, and a big condensation tank, + big cooling rail, so a WAG about 150l of gas ready to feed the engine. Thats 10s fof driveing at WOT for you.
I have a gas volume of all together 15l . This is one sole second of driveing and it just isnt enough for a smooth driveoff. Plus, l have a automixer so l cant reachen the gasmix.
This is why l hit the hybrid swich at a traffic light. If the idle is less thain about a minute, l usualy can driveoff without hybrid, but l usualy hit the swich to avoyd potential accidents of stalling in a crossroad.
Its sad to look the sun go down at 4 pm here, to have 4 hours less sun per day must realy be depressing…
Ps How long do days get in the summer up there north?
Thanks Kristijan! You are good with words. I’ve had more than twice the time to practice but still struggle to dress my thoughts in words.
Close. 120 l.
Yes, that volume is very helpful but will also hold 120 l weak gas if the gasifier runs too cold.
We are lucky to be able to use that boost switch from time to time. I do have a red safety cap on mine though. I would hate wasting gasoline by accident
Over all we seem to experience simular performance.
Any news on your new restriction?
I don’t live far north enough to see the midnight sun, but there is daylight all night. The sun hides right below the horizon for a couple of hours.
Edit: Does your car ever run rich when running woodgas and hitting the gasoline switch?
Its true, the DOW sets in your blood so fast you pitty every shot worth of petrol to be burnt
I allso look often on the swiches just in case l wuld accidently hit one
Yes the restriction runs well. Great in fact. Al thugh its main purpose now is get rid of tars, the flyweel effect is yet to be worked on. Thanks for the concern.
As for hybriding, the anwser is no. Atleast not if l hit the 25% petrol swich. If l hit the 100% petrol swich, the engine stalls.
I think the automixer is in my favor here. In cases l make lean gas, the gas still mixes with air at 50/50 ratio. Lean gas means less combustible geses per same volume, so there is some O2 left in the 50/50 mix for the hybrid mode to work without adding more atmospheric air.
JO, your rabbit does have a lambda right? Have you ever hooked it up to a voltmeter while DOW? What does it show?
Myne shows 0,05v at lean gas and 0.13 v when the gas is good. The power is good, but the voltage shuld be closer to 0.4v by the book.
We talked about the north daytime over dinner today with my family and we cant seem to decide if its good or bad. The conclusion was we wuld most likely work our selfs to deth in summer and sleep our selfs to deth at wintertime but l guess one gets used to everything.
Lambda - yes. Voltmeter - no, I’ve never tried that but when hybriding I can run with the air valve wide open or squeeze it to where killing the fuel pump doesn’t affect power. It seems my old fuel regulator isn’t very picky on range. It operates on lambda signal only and output can be anything from 0-100%.
This adds to my list of experiments I want to do. Maybe that signal can be used permanently as a primitive air/fuel ratio meter. What do you think?
Yeah, something like that You better believe in reincarnation.
Anyway- every spring is the beginning of a new life.
Authorities recently visited the inspection and he didn´t want trouble.
Maybe a little consentrated over rear axle though 
