Hi Matt,
Keep those projects coming. Some things have so much potential that they are worth investing in even if it is a long shot.
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The way I see it, even if the tech fails; I will have a good method of blowing things up with this thing. I win either way. lol 
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Here is the prototype auto start system. Basically what it does is reads an off grid battery bank and looks for two set parameters. One for battery low voltage and one for battery high voltage. When the low voltage is detected, the controller pulls the choke on the generator and fire it up. It then will run until the High voltage set point is reached and then go into a timed float charge mode and then shut down. Repeat cycle.
I am working on furthering this system to include adjustable set points via potentiomer knob controls. Float charge time duration adjustments, engine starter duration adjustment and a manual mode with remote push button start option.
This will come to market for gasoline systems in combination with PowerMax chargers. To convert any AC generator into a fully automatic, self running High Amp DC charging system. We can build 1500 watt chargers on up to 6 kW chargers for 12 volt systems on up to 48 volt battery banks
This will lay the foundation for our final automation step to fully automate our systems to self run. The final hurdle is to get dumb automation to start and engine on 100% woodgas. I think it will need some help and gasoline for start up sort of defeats the purpose. The H generator solves this and we can control with PWM very precisely.
So here is a video, this one is crude so it is private only you guys get to see it. 
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It says “This video is unavailable.”
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Just click on it, it should still work. Let me know if it dont.
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I clicked again, same message.
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Working now… Plus characters…
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Try now I made it public. I dont know why the links wont work, I should be able to post direct links and you guys should be able to see it if its marked private.
I need to re do this this video, as I have cleaned up the controller since. The Aims died (operator error not Aims fault) So I now have the Harbor Freight 5 kW inverter along with the PowerMax DC charger.
I absolutely love that HF inverter in case any are wondering. For what that cost along with the charger less than 600 dollar investment vs the 12 kW Aims $3500.00 Ill take the HF inverter and charger any day.
The Aims is a good unit and made very well. But it is an energy hog and when in charge mode it directs the AC from generator out to load instead of inverting. The sign wave is not cleaned up and defeats the purpose of have a pure sign inverter. So not happy with it. I over heated and have to send it back for repair. It will be for sale after I get it back.
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Hi Matt ,
That is a great setup and thanks for showing us your working model .
If i can say something about using the standard type generators on inverter chargers though from what my electrician told me was that because i am doing roughly what you are doing { but without the automation and on charcoal } the engine revs are critical for keeping a set amount of voltage without spikes of high and low power, and so my inverter charger must be fed a pure sine wave power from a inverter type generator other wise it will blow the inverter charger with dirty power .
Dave
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Yup, the Aims can except dirty power though and is based on fluctuating voltage. It has two modes a wider range of 180 volt up to 260 volts and a narrower range of 190 to 240 or something like that. The narrow range mode is for pure sign output. I could not get it to go into that mode and the generator has an AVR and running solid. I think something is wrong with the inverter.
The size of the generator needs to be capable of demand and an AVR at the generator head or an inverter type like you are saying. On this Aims inverter its capable of 10 kW charging output so most inverter generators I know of wont cut it for this inverter.
The Aims is just not very good at cleaning up the signal output on generator mode. I think it is flawed
Im going to get this repaired and sell it and get the Schneider XW 8 kW unit
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Just curious. How come you are developing the generator autostart protocol and not using the existing one that off-grid inverters use for backup power?
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The inverters only send out a signal, the generator still needs to have an auto start feature. Besides this I dont use the signal because this is being developed for woodgas. By the time the gasifier would be ready to fire up the engine after the inverter sent the signal. You would be left in the dark.
The Aims only gives you 1 to 2 minutes and this is not enough time for an automated cold start on a gasifier.
Additionally not all inverters have this feature, and since the generator needs to have a controller to work we simply added this capability to the controls. Its a simple voltage devider.
I could simply add an input for gasoline systems to use a stock signal from inverters that have this feature.
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The inverters controllers I saw had a time delay feature, which allowed the generator to stabilize. but yes, now you are starting to get into more specific products.
I was looking at it from the perspective of I already have solar plus storage, but an automatic woodgas generator to plug in to the system would be killer.
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Quick build update on the 2019 pre production machine. Just installed the electrical panel and touch screen. Need to wire them together and that part will be ready for harness out to components. Ill start cranking out the gasifier portion here pretty quick, should be able to fly on it now. The new enclosure system had a bit of development process to be able to construct it. Next machines this go much faster than ever before with cost savings.
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Blowing stuff up is always cool. We show off the grain puffer at most of our classes. I just never get tired of it. It’s just fun to blow stuf up.
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Just make sure it doesn’t blow up as well, but I bet it is a fun demo. Apparently you can puff rice with oil over a stove and no high pressure.
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So Ive been working on the long term development plan and working on a new machine design. Like before machine design integration and manufacturing integration are the key drivers. So I had come up with a concept to integrate the gasifier directly into the enclosure and support base. Basically the gasifier system is the support pillars eliminating the need to build that structure system. The Engine / Generator support base doubles as a tank / bin plus integrates everything into one. So pillar one is the gasifier and primary hopper, pillar two is the liquid cooled gas cooler, pillar three is the media filter and pillar is for the engine exhaust. That can be adapted for CHP as well.
This design will be so much more cost effective plus huge time savings Ive decided to drop the last design and expedite this into the 2019 product line. It would counter productive not too. This will have stained wood panels with a high gloss finish. There will some other new technologies implemented into this as well. but need to build first before revealing too much.
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So Im still putting details to this thing. Its just like a real one, you get to a point where the bulk pieces are complete and it looks like you made a huge accomplishment. Then the real work comes all the fine details and it looks like you have made zero progress.
Anyways I know the CAD models maybe difficult to visualize their scale So I’ve cloned myself and inserted virtual me into the CAD model. Couldn’t quite model the unibrow quite right but its pretty close to an exact replica of me lol.
This will have 360* access to the core components inside the machine. That is a really nice change, where old version you had to work around stuff in your way or you had to disassemble it. The upper section has nice and large compartments on all sides for installing all the different components, chiller system, electrical panel, flare cup, active wash filer pump, etc. It looks like I will have three of these sold here in the next few weeks if all goes well. I can not wait to build these new machines, this machine will be a game changer
Yeah its capable of 12.5 kW continuous output and holds 320 lbs of fuel. This is very tiny when you consider that capability.
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Here is the last chip fuel version that would be equivalent in capacity and potential output. Its nearly twice the size and I had to use a step ladder to load it.
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