Hello Jan-Ola
Rules and laws looked at by the enforcers here in the USofA as fixed and inviolable is the same here regardless of what it may seem from Hollywood presentations.
“Bribe” any official/inspector directly here is a sure way to handcuffs. Only the Big entities get away with that in the form of millions of dollars of campaign donations. Legislative lobbying only works by this Big money greasing; or the grease of being able to deliver, or withhold many election time votes.
Back to that individual inspector . . .
When dealing with the literal minded, “The Law, is the Law”, “The Regulations, are the Regulation”, the trick is to fine details read, know and study for gaps and loopholes. Know the Law, the Regulations better than the enforcer. Show then the exception. That you are the exception.
Sigh. My mistake has been successfully tweaking the bear’s nose too often, too well until success’s word-of-mouth painted me as a known, usual, suspect. Becoming the easy, low hanging fruit then for the Enforcer of the enforcers to be able to make a name for their selves scofflaw rooting out.
Wisest move overall is to have been Net, Presentations quiet from the beginning as you scofflaw.
This is why many once woodgas promoting go Net silent, disappear, and become very quiet attempting to pull in the hide’ie-hole after themselves.
Ha! But where is the fun in that!? I only became noisy, obvious after 2007 when it really would not matter anymore. I was finally actually old-old, grumpy, and becoming toothless.
Steve Unruh, The Scofflaw since . . .
Hello Steve,
I don’t think anyone on our side the pond take Hollywood presentations for beeing nothing but fiction and entertainment. I drove from coast to coast in the 90s and had the oppertunity to take a look behind your scenes.
I was more refering to Kristijan’s reality. I have been traveling through old eastern Europe and “forgotten” a few bills myself. I think Kristijan can confirm this behaviour is quite common in those countries.
About inspection - I asked our local inspector what would happen if I showed up next time with a gasifier on the bed. He just smiled and told me I can carry any load…but…it can not be connected to the engine unless the vehicle is 1975 or older. I already knew that but wanted to hear from in person. However there are rules regarding loads, he added and smiled again. The load can not be bolted to the bed - only strapped.
This is why I tried to keep it as simple as possible. My whole arrangement is fastened with only five bolts and can then be lifted off. None of the pvc are glued and held in place with only two stripes underneath. Under the hood there are two clamps to loosen. One trip a year will have to be on gasoline - the one going to inspection.
I am too young to remember what life was in the 90s, but based on what older people told me, life was a lot more fun. My grandfather was a officer on the Yugoslavia/Austria border and he told me lots of storys about “lubrication”. Althugh there was a lot of ilegality and corruption, they were a lot more social. If a farmer was smugling farming equipment from Austria for him self, he got away with a bottle of fine whiskey. If they suspected a mafia or individual smuggler, there was no mercy. We lack this atitude today. Its the other way around.
Interasting, only a few miles south trugh the Croatisn border, the old yugostavian spirit is seen again. 10€ pay your speeding ticket and the officer shakes a hand with you, happy he has money for a beer and čevapi. We are too europeanised, too americanised now for such flegmatic relations.
this is it. Works well, the flaps are well balanced. The throtle spring is temporary, untill l find a rotational spring.
Automixer to be made today, 8" this time.
At first test nothing was different. Still no woodgas idle. Thain l quickly stoped after a drive, disconnected the gas hose and tryed to light the gas. Tryed. Wuldnt burn untill offgas came trugh the system. I put a shopwac on the air intake of gasifier, positive pressure, gues what
cyclone flange leaks big time. This is the reason for weak gas, high temps, white ash on the cyclone. Welded the flange now.
The power was back, but still no longer idle on woodgas. When it consumed offgas the engine dyed.
Thain l remembered the non return flap. Dissasembled it and went for a ride. Amazeing difference! Looks like idle vacuum cant open it! Now l can idle as long as l want, but when l stoped the engine this happend
and it wuldnt stop! People were stairing and l had to deliver a inportant letter and the post office was FULL of customers. Thanks god noone called the police.
This made me think why l have so much offgas. I think the anwser is very hot hopper due to a sealed insulated alubox. Any idea how to change that?
Another interasting thing with a double throat throtle body is when cranking the engine you have to lieave the gas pedal alone. Still have to set this in my mind.
Anyway, the last two days made me appreciate charcoal gasifiers but allso put my hat off to all wood burning guys.
l better go make a automixer now, have a nice monday!
I think any gasifier will have a slight positive pressure after shutdown. I have a manual valve operated by wire from behind the seat. If I sometimes forget to close it I get a lot of tary smoke out the inlet. If closed I’m sure gas is escaping thru the airfilter up front, but that gas is clean and won’t do any harm.
Is that new tb of yours cast? Seems to make a perfect fit.
Max, you lost me with the water. Culd you explain your idea?
JO, the thing is l have so much offgas it suffocates the engine sometimes. It got better with twinflap but the pressure still has to go somewhere.
Plus, the biggest problem, the offgas cools the charbed to a point takeing off after a few second stop is a problem. Again, much better with twinflap, still not good enough.
If the backflap reinstalled on the gasifier keeps tight, the gas tries to advance forward along the gastubing.
Before it reaches the gasmixer, put in a Y- or T- piece.
From here on, one leg to the gasmixer, another hosed to a plastic cannister, probably on the low left side in the motor room.
On the way in into the cannister, put a plastic or metallic backflap opening towards the cannister. A very tight one!
It may not leak backwards, when the motor is succing!
Going into the cannister abowe the planned water or nafta level, using a 90 degree knee facing downwards into the liquid.
From the knee a bit of tube or hose downward, a bit under the planned liquid level.
So the off-gas will bubble through the liquid surface and keeping the open-cell plastic foam wetted, which helps to catch the visible parts of the off-gas.
Of course the cannister has to have an escape-hole on the top!
Ahaaa! Finally I understand what’s ment by “offgas” other than after shut down produced nitrogen free gas - STEAM. Of course you get more of it not condensing it.
Maybe you could make some hopper tubes on the outside of your box. You would have to make holes in the box at the top of the sides, but the tubes could go all the way down into a small tank and from the tank up through the empty box bottom.
Ha, so easy making suggestions when you don’t have to do the work yourself
Good work on that cast aluminium. Was that a Calvin inspired idea? He is a clever guy.
I read the comment earlier about you casting the double flap body. The more I thought about it, I had to come back and say, " be very carful when you are heating metal for your casting. I would not want to hear that your “” Superman"" cape caught on fire.". I am totally amazed at your achievements, progress in your build, and your overall knowledge, plus mechanical abilities. Thank you for sharing your postings. TomC
Max,
now l understand. I think the watter isnt nessesery, the gas is allmost invisible. Ill put a second non return flap in for sure!
Correct. I stoped useing the term “steaming” becouse SteveU made a point some time ago, new members might mistaken this highly poisonus gas (containing up to 50% CO!) whit harmles steam.
About the tubes, damageing the alubox is not an option (police stuff). Ill start with a fan mounted in the alubox and see where that takes me.
Sometimes those are the best mind teazers so thanks for every input!
I dont know Calvin and what he does, l use lost foam method. Its so simple lm surprised not many folks cast their own parts. First you make your desired shape out of regular styrofoam. You berry it in regular sand and cast molten metal in. Thats it. The detail is amazeing!
Here are two of my castings l did last year, just to show the detail possible.
The henry rifle replica is entirely made by this method, but the lever is unfortunaly broaken off. The buckle l use every day
Yes Tom, as by every metalworking caution has to be taken. But l think welding is just as dangeorus thain casting. If you are reffering to tools arsenal with mechanical abilitys, l have a stick welder and an angle grinder, others l improvise.
Ha! I forgot to mention that JO. The anwser is l did it the Russian style. Unplugged it looks like the computer either went to backup mode or it thinks it is always WOT, wich l find more likely. Good performance on wood and petrol.
Hi, Kristijan!
10.10.2016
Thinking further: The “condensation cannister” should have an exit tube leading out of the motor room aswell! In consquence with Steve’s serious talk!
You missed the part of my statement about your “superman” cape. You must be Superman with all of you knowledge and talents. Is the Henry functional? TomC
Yes, I have. But only to a certain point I think. If I allow the hopper to heat up from time to time it seems to melt and drain some. I wonder if Wayne has seen more tar bildup in his super cold finned tubes. If he reads this he might be able to tell what happens with bildup in the long run and cold vs hot surfaces.
I have seen no build up of tar in the hopper . It all drains down to the hopper condensate tank where it is emptied periodically. However there is a crust ( baked tar ) that will accumulate at the top of the burn tube that I will dislodge at cold start ups after lighting ( a few strokes with the poker ) . This build up of baked tar will only happen when the gasifier is allowed to go cold at shut down and set a few hours or over night .
( I may produce more tar than most because I run almost 100% on pine wood .)
Kristijan,
To add to your confusion I’d say Wayne and I are both telling the truth.
The difference might be I do a lot of really short trips, 10 miles or 15 min to work. The lower half of my hopper is actually still cold to the touch. Tar starts not to flow well if it’s below indoor temp (20C).
This morning it was just above freezing and when I got to work the lower half of my hopper was still at that temp (or slightly higher). I think this makes the tar stick to my hopper wall. I know that after a longer (hotter) trip the tar flows down and accumulates in my plastic can. This is when I empty, not only condensate, but also the collected tar. It’s the only time my can is warm enough to get the tar out.
Thanks for your input. l have that baked crust in the entire hopper. I think the tar sticks on it while cold and since it warms superhot soon it bakes and falls off. Same on the lid.
looks like the computer either went to backup mode or it thinks it is always WOT, wich l find more likely. Good performance on wood and petrol.
no, no superman but thanks.