So it is official, we had a meeting today and we are going to discontinue the current DFX and will be shelving the design I posted earlier on the thread.
The Harbor Freight Proto has proved it can run charcoal and it excelled with the 50/50 mixture. So it does not make any sense to continue with the current design when this can achieve the same capability plus some for a way less cost and will drastically reduce our production time. Plus it opens up many options for our customers as the filters can be DIY’ed and now we already have the DIY video for that. If a user wants to purchase the filter pre built then we will offer that sepperately. Along with our ammo box hose kit that will be sepperated as well.
One of my big critieirias for a gasifeir is it must have wheels. So that too will come as an add on and Ive made a revision to a simple wheel kit.
Networking is still going to be a thing and really it will be even easier as it will just be adding additional ports to the DIY filter to add additional gasifiers. You can then add the shut off valves as well for re fueling on the fly.
Another critieria is there must be revisions for automation. So that has been designed into this revision of the unit but will not come as standard.
This unit will have an easy to service reduction. You simply un bolt the lower section and it drops out. There are two pins you will have access to that you pull out and the grate drops right out. The grate will be those cast floor drain grates. LOL. They are actually better grates for a gasifer than they for what they are actually designed for. However automate versions will get our built grate and it will be mounted on center spindle with motor to drive it under the ash clean out bin.
Gas out put will be built into the access door. The seal clamp will have a mesh type cut out to keep large char from getting into this port openning.
Ok cost, yeah I think we can produce this unit ( just the gasifier ) for around $1500 bucks and still make ends meat. I just run the numbers and our materials cost will be around $600 bucks. So labor, overhead shop cost and then company margin should put us around this price point. That will include the water tank, all the jets, the flare cup, the hopper and the reactor system. Everything will be prefabricated the user will just have to put it together and then come up with the rest; filter, start up blower, mixer valve, hose system etc.
Oh and I forgot to mention the VersiFire will now be a docking station for new DXF. So indeed much larger versions will be coming. We will build for the 30 gallon and 55 gallon drums. And then there will be a smaller version of the VersiFire for this size gasifier.
Cheers Matt , looking at the mc masters image of the stuff you use , seems i have seen that on my search and so should be able to buy it on line ,i can always use exhaust heat wrap tape as i know that is at least 3mm thick .
Yeah this is probably the cheapest i can get this sort of material ,if i silicon it into place when assembling it should be ok , its very wide so will cut it in half as my flange is only about 1 inch wide .
There you go that looks promising. Yeah just get a can of contact cement in spray form. Thats what we do and it makes sticking it on a flange a breeze.
I am thinking that coming out of the ammo can into a water filled barrel with some coils of hose in it before going into a filter would knock those gas temps down without much extra work or material.
Maybe if you are having issues with that. I did not have any issues at all that single filter knocked the heat right out. The gas was practicaly ambient by the time it hit the ammo box. You can see the temps I took on the wood gas run.
I would not go to that extreme. Too complex for me. Way simpler to just add one or two more barrel filters.
Ok finnished all the fine details. I revised the water tank in hopes we can mount it and sitll fit it back in the box the barrels ship in. I figured out how to release the grate without need to remove the ash bin. There is a shaft housing to add the automated spindle shaft to automate the grate. Revised the flare cup a bit for better fitment and will cut the model brand in the shell and the agitator vibrator will also mount to it. Then cut the hole for the clean out and designed the door system. There is a nice big port openning to suck out all the woodgas goodness from the unit.
Hi Matt (again ) lol I have another question regarding the water cooled nozzle ,unless i missed you mentioning it in the video’s, when completed and screwed into the 1 inch union how far inside or out side of the union is the stainless steel pipe ?
I would love this nozzle design of yours to be able to hold up for hundreds of running hours in this configuration , so if you are doing any maintenance and have a clear shot of the nozzle after a good run i would love to see some pics when u have a chance .
The Nozzle extends out roughly 3/4. Im dont know how you can extend it, we have not tried it. I think the longer you extended the more water you can process. If it melts just cut the melted portion off.
I have not seen a nozzle degrade yet but Im not taking our DFX apart just to take pictures
On this latest proto I installed a shorter nozzle and it terminates at the end of the coupling. However I do plan to extend out to center the oxidation zone in either mode. The oxidation zone is biasing towards the primary jet. Just need to tune the length a bit to get it centered.
Ok ok ok, here is whats in the box. I know you all been wating all day huh?? lol just messin
Yeah $550 bucks right there. It dont look like much but it is what is.
Edit: Oops just realized I didnt order the hopper lid latches. Thats going to add another 40 bucks. Those things are 13 / 14 bucks a piece and there are three of them.
Hey Matt,
I have been hovering in the shadows for a while now. I just finished my Ammo can gasifier with first successful flair and night flair. i am waiting on parts for my gen to give it a run. I was wondering if the new HF gasifier could run on pellets also?
Welcome to DOW and great to hear you have success with the ammo box unit. I often wonder how many of you have built that thing. lol
I dont think pellets will fare well especially in raw form. Fuel size must be correct in order for the fuel to work. Pellets are small and dense and will not leave volume gaps for air to take up. So there will be more wood fuel being turned into pyrolysis gas than what the oxidation zone can process to simplify. Basically a portion of the pyrolysis gas will slip by carrying tar into the reduction zone and passing thru it.
You maybe be able to mix it with lump charcoal though. But until someone tries it I dont know.
Wow what a fantactic build. I think this one you built is better than the one I built. lol.
Yeah if you go to the latest video I did on the new nozzle; it will work better in that unit as well. You might encounter some water flow issues with water surface tension. Something I was just learning about as I was doing those videos.
