Question:: Why havent I seen someone just build a detuned Imbert gasifier with an automated grate to produce charcoal??
Ive always thought about this but never had any intentions as it seems like a no brainer and someone would have tried it?
Seems to me all you have to do is build a down draft gasifier with a shallow reduction zone a looser grate and add in an aggressive agitator. You then add in a second stage air input here at the grate and if build passive enough you can draft this with a chimney. I have built similar systems that is exactly how the stoves are built with exception they are designed to fully consume the fuel to ash.
Im wondering if Im over thinking this at least for a bulk producer. I love the idea of the stove I have designed. That will basically produce charcoal fuel with nearly zero effort. But in warmer months I may need an alternative.
I mean it could be as simple as MrTeslonians gasifier he has here. It would certainly not work as an engine grade gasifier but I bet it would work great for bulk charcoal production.
I did it almost the same. Barrel has a pipe running trough with holes in the beginning, no gaspipe like yours. Started without insulation, burned a lot of wood but did not get it cooked. Put the buttom in some fire resistent concrete/perlite or something. What would be the best choice for insulation?
J tube makes burning easier was the thought. Burned a lot of wood today and only the small sticks might be useable. This is my path because nothing can go wrong. Now I feel realy stupid that this is to difficult. How would it look like when I was building a real gasifier? Dead end and knocking my head on the wall.
Just burn in a barrel, you just need to control the air feed so you dont oxidize all the fuel. Just enough to establish combustion at the bottom flames carry up and heat the fuel in the mid upper levels. If you use up the available oxygen before it can reach the upper portion you are not burning it. But yeah build giant TLUD, I just posted showing you exactly how to make it. You dont need the bell you can cover with a chimney like have here on your current build.
However you need a method to expel the charcoal out the bottom. Get turned down to char and drop it as soon as possible.
Yes absolutely, He has a very nice shop heater. Nothing going waste as he is getting heat for his shop. Only thing I dislike is it is a batch run machine, where my kiln is a continuous feed and continuous output system.
All he has to do is get rid of that pipe system and punch holes in the bottom of the retort barrel. Put a shield on top of those holes that can be cleaned.
Hi Joep ,if i can just say something , without insulation you are indeed banging your head against a brick wall and you will be amazed at the difference once you have insulation .
I am not sure how your system is designed as it looks a lot taller than mine so maybe if i can explain a little how mine works and see if that helps .
First i have a standard size 220 litre drum with a 6 inch hole top and bottom , i have a stove pipe that sticks out a little over 1/4 inch out of the bottom of the drum and around 4 to 6 inches up inside the pipe i have some slots ground through the stove pipe to allow for gasses to escape into the pipe and out the top , on the top side of the drum , i also have a 2/4 i have the stove pipe centered with straps welded to the side of the drum so that when i place the lid on it is always a good fit .
On the outside of the drum i placed some insulation batts around the drum from top to bottom held in place with some wire , i then cut another drum into 2 halves and used the sides to cover the insulation and trapping it so it does not get too damaged from when i tip the barrel over to empty it .
Then i dug a small pit under where the drum sits on the ground and i throw all rubbish bark, leaf’s anything that’s not great for engine grade charcoal , i can light that and have it gassing off in no time at all , if i had bothered timing it i could give you a honest time it takes me , but to be honest it varies so much because i dont always have bone dry wood to hand and so the slightly green wood does take a bit longer , but around 2 hours would be my guess for my barrel . i also throw some insulation on the lid as well and once its all cooked i stuff that insulation into the stove pipe and push it down till it blocks the slots in my stove pipe and empty the next day , or i have allowed it too cool off for a few hours and then tip drum over and open up and shovel into another sealed drum so i can carry on making more .
What Matt said about direct combustion does not work for me as i lose a lot to ash unless i am there looking after it making sure to keep fresh wood on top to stop the coals burning away , but when we have more wood than we can cope with then it is a great way of reducing large amounts of pallet and packing case material .
Dave
Dave, mine is quite the same. Centerpipe 160 mm/ 6 inch with holes 9 mm instead of slots.
Later on I put some insulation on the barrel and it got a little better. Order vermiculite to insulate burn tube under barrel. The goal is a two hour burntime. Thanks.
Driving 100+ miles in this small country without crossing a border. Feels like I am in Denmark. In uour area Jahee. Plenty time on telephone
Thanks matt, i had that bottom port exit in back of my head, he dident need the top lupeing pipe too need cleaning if he used bottom steam tubes exits/and baffel over top of exit ports. This type retort is i think the proper type for makeing pyro/ gun powder charco too. The price of willow char made the cooler method, is sky high right now.
Joep , Thanks for the picture of your unit now i can see what it is you are doing .
Have you insulated the top drum and the lid at all ? if not then for sure try another re lite and see how much difference the insulating around the pipe down below makes .
But i am willing to bet that without insulation around your drum you will not get completely cooked charcoal .
PS i would love to see a video of the unit in cooking mode if at all possible , cant have enough good fire cooking porn ! Dave
I put a piece of glasswole on the barrel. I will di that again. Not clear yet. With a two hour run time maybe three batches a day. Energy hungry we are. Insulation should be made exchangable. Video for sure. Maybe this weekend is to early, concrete still wet.
got to love this guy…
