Here I took a picture of what the fuel looks like in the hopper, the small pieces are completely charred already high up in the hopper, I really don’t miss charcoal in this gasifier, obviously a heated hopper has a good effect on the pyrolysis process,…
Tone the main benefit you also have is you still have a top part to remove water from the hopper. The old Imberts without a monorator would get uneven drying.
That is just astounding how small of feedstock you are running. All my siftings from the chunker would be fuel in your tractor, your almost running on what I would consider to be mulch! Have you tried larger chunks to see if there is any difference in run ability?
Marcus, also the bigger pieces co-mixed between the fuel, but I didn’t do the selection, I just control that there is always some fresh fuel, which creates a humid atmosphere under the hood, which cools the process, prevents tar condensation and creates strong gas. Namely, water vapor is lighter than tar gas and thus stays above
You wrote very well in the adjacent thread and so did Steve….
Tone your gasifier really does make a lot of heat, I think you’ve written in other topic, “by a razors edge”. Not a single bit of creosote once you reach the nozzles. I don’t think Tar even makes it to the nozzles it must be baked away before!
How are the welded together bearing races holding up?
Cody, the conversion of tar gases is probably taking place already above the nozzles in the glowing coal, as I think it requires a lower temperature than for the conversion of water vapor and CO2. The welded ring of the bearing is located in a hot ember and becomes glowing and soft, so there is no fear of the weld cracking, it heats up slowly and cools down slowly.
Tone, how much diesel does your tractor use when idling (about 1500rpm) per hour, approximately?
Jan, I have never done this measurement, but I think that 1 liter of diesel fuel would be sufficient, I conclude this based on the measurements when driving on wood, when I have a limited amount of injection, here it uses less than a liter per working hour, (working hour and hour after time they equalize somewhere at 1800 rpm)
Some math,… since I changed the injection elements on the high pressure pump, I can give some data, the element easily pushes 50 cmm (cubic millimeters) into the cylinder at once, but this is too much, as black smoke appears here, I think it is full dose approx. 40 cmm, this would also mean a mixing ratio between diesel fuel and air of 1:20. If we convert these data into consumption with a fully loaded engine at 1500 rpm, this would mean 5.33 liters of diesel fuel per hour, which is also a realistic value, well, to overcome the internal friction and heat losses of the engine, 20% of this amount will be sufficient, i.e. a little more than 1 liter per hour.
Ok, I tested mine today when cutting wood, it took about 0.8 liters in an hour.
I filled the tank completely and drove for 1 hour and did not get more than 0.8 liters in the tank.
How much diesel does yours take when you run on gengas, like that.
Jan, now we’re already counting the drops of fuel, … well, let’s go, … try to fill the fuel the next day when the tank has cooled down, … (the tank is installed right above the engine), otherwise, you don’t need a big one to split firewood power, on average 1 PS power per hour would be sufficient. It’s another story when you have a mulcher attached, or you’re driving a stone crusher, or you’re pulling a 5-ton load uphill. here the consumption is close to 5 l per working hour, but you also have to take into account that the working hour is equal to an hour per time at 1800 rpm,… well, my tractor consumes a little less than 1 liter per working hour on average
What I’m thinking is is there any idea to put gen gas on my tractor, since it mostly runs with a very light load.
It should be pretty similar to the amount of diesel needed for the ignition whether it runs heavy or light? And the profit is when it runs heavy, then the gengas comes in and provides the power?
Unfortunately, a diesel engine needs a small amount of fuel for ignition, but the more heavily it runs, the less fuel it needs. When the time comes, I will install spark plugs on my engine.
Tone, will you still need diesel fuel for upper head lubercation after you install spark plugs?
Bob
Robert, I don’t think it will be necessary, the valves and cylinder are lubricated with oil, and no other lubrication is necessary
tone, i dont know if you can read the book of tilman, swiss gengas book…there is written that diesel conversions with spark plugs need special spark plugs and also a higher voltage in the ignition system as usually, otherwise the spark cannot jump over because of the high pressure.
immagine not knowing this, one tried the spark plug out of the cylinder, makes sparks, and inside, where is not to see, makes nothing, and one cannot explain why…
maybee less compression and hot spark plugs can help, or you modyfie the ignition system to a higher voltage, what i trust you are able to do!
let us take part when the time is arrived…
ciao giorgio
According to some books i’ve read a modern, high energy ignition system should be sufficient for diesel conversions, even the old “high-power” coils should do, also the system should be in good order, fresh wires and distributor cap for example.
One can test this need of higher voltage, experimental, on the engine converted, connect a wire to one of the plugs, connect this to a ajustable spark gap to ground so the spark gap is connected parallell to the plug, start the engine, the current taking the easiest route, going over the adjustable gap. Adjust the gap until it stops sparking, then the current jumps the plug instead, i believe this can maybe show up to 10mm on a high compression engine.
Just some ideas for experimenting. As an example i sometimes test ignition coils for my old chainsaws, i found out the must be capable of spark 7mm in free air, to be able to jump a spark in cylinder, during compression.
Much to take into acount, woodgas is more easily ignited due to its hydrogen content, during war-time it was often reported cylinders “misfiring” due to ignition wires crossing each other, inducing small amounts of current, enough to create whats called( cant find a translation: glimljus,) this is a phenomena that takes place evertime, just before a spark jumps.
Sorry for the long post, i got carried away 
Twinkle light?
Is it basically Premature Ignition?
Maybe it’s the static electricity?
Thanks for the tip Göran, just ordered an ignition coil for a 254, which I’m having trouble starting, will check the old one before I change.
Hi Cody, it’s a kind of discharge, a “corona” (not the virus 
) like “st elmos fire” phenomena, a glowing outburst that is the start of the real spark. These low energy discharge cant set a gasoline/air mix on fire, but easily ignites hydrogen.