Hey there,
Greetings from middle Germany!
i was just doing some research for my 100% self sufficient home project, which is involving one cogeneration plant (Senertec Dachs, Natural Gas cogeneration plant), a wood gasifier and charcoal plant AND a Biogas Container for Remains which are not fit to be pyrolyzed.
Can you give some hints for good material and sources for dimensioning the gasifier?
Thank you in advance
Max
Welcome to the forum!
When you say the cogeneration plant is 5kw is it an engine? Or some sort of heating unit?
If it’s an engine, what is the displacement?
Please bear in mind if it’s a generator for electricity you will see a reduction in output while on woodgas and charcoal gas.
I can input on engine sizeing to produce 5 kW continuouse. Running a generator and outputing “X” is easy for short periods of time. Depending on the cycle you can almost get the power the generator might out on gasoline. But how long can you sustain a continuouse load is a whole different story.
With my set up we are running 420 and 450 cc engine power generators running @1800 rpms. The typical load we can sustain is generally around 1800 watts. This is with the gasifier left un attended and letting it run free. We do have automation that keeps our machine running at optimum as well.
So based on my system I would say if you wanted to sustain 2 kW you would need a 500cc power generator. Based on this to get to 5 kW, then you will need a minimum of 1250 cc. Yes sometimes our machine can run at much higher loads but it just not always the case. Eventually after you chase a gasifeir for a while; trying to get it to achieve more. It will grow old and you will want to just stick to what it can produce when its at its worste. Otherwise you will be constantly fiddling with it.
I would recommend doing two systems, one charcoal and one wood gas. Team your system using chargers, I would assume you are going to charge a battery bank? This way you have power on demand, all your eggs are in sepperate baskets, you will have a range of fuel to run and availability, added redundancy, etc.
Welcome Max. 100 per cent self sufficiency is a daunting challenge. I would like to hear what your ideas are that would allow you to reach that goal. Food production, water supply, heat, and transportation. Many of us would like to get to the same place and would be interested in sharing ideas.
First of all, thank you for your replies.
I’ve recently acquired a 6-hectare plot of land, which was once a forest but is now unfortunately nearly barren. However, I see this as an opportunity to restore it and drive it beyond its former glory (just some needle monoculture& very poor ground vegetation have been there for 60 years). My vision is to establish an agroforestry system, supplemented with Terra Preta. Given that I’m based in Germany, I’ll need to adapt some aspects to suit the local climate and conditions. For the next ten to twenty years, my primary focus will be on nurturing the growth of this land and enhancing its fertility, already growing some fruit trees from different kinds of fruit (evolution will sort out the next years). I’ve been experimenting with Terra Preta in a small section of my grandmother’s garden for the past three years, and the results have been nothing short of astonishing, i hope, it will work on larger scale in similar ways
The area will be partially enclosed by a minimalistic fence, designed to deter animals from wandering in. However, I plan to source most of our meat from the surrounding wildlife, including deer, boars, rabbits, and ducks. I also intend to raise pigs in a designated area. All waste and remains will be repurposed for heat generation or as fertilizer, with the aid of a biogas tank. I have an unused swimming pool that could serve as an excellent starting point for this project, providing a secondary source of energy and a fantastic fertilizing opportunity.
Our region is quite rainy, particularly in the winter, with only two to three harsh months annually. My plan is to collect and store water during the wetter periods on the higher levels of my plot and reduce our water footprint during the drier months.
Vegetables and fruits will be cultivated in designated areas within the forest. In between these areas, I plan to let nature take its course, providing shelter for animals and generating free biomass. Pest control will be managed naturally by cats, pigs, chickens, and a dog, which will also serve as a guardian. I’m still figuring out a sustainable source of food for the dog and chickens, as I doubt the dog will be satisfied with just a few mice per day.
Deer, boar, and rabbits are plentiful in the surrounding area, providing a diverse range of livestock that can thrive without much intervention.
Transportation is a challenge I’m still grappling with. I’ve retained my old petrol cars, which are in good condition, and I’m familiar with how to convert them to run on wood gas. In the long term, this will likely be one of the most significant challenges. Within the property, which is located on the southern side of a mountain, I’m considering building a cart system for transportation to the house, including pipelines for water transport from higher ground on the property, maybe even harvest some energy (~47.50m difference in height) from top to bottom.
I acknowledge that some dependencies may remain if I wish to avoid reverting to some kind of a very primitive lifestyle.
To further reduce those dependencies, I am gathering all kind of metal work tools like drilling and milling machines, I got 3d printers and knowledge on CAD.
However, I’m confident that with careful planning and hard work, I can achieve self-sufficiency in water, energy, and food. Who knows, I might even manage to brew my own beer!
Thank you for your attention!
hello max, welcome in the forum, being self sufficient is now mor important es ever…we made it more than thirty years now…
we began 2020 with our gasifiers for small engines with charcoal, and it is really a thing worth to do!!..old propane tanks, milk cans or stainless beer barels are a good stuff to begin a gasifier…look at my threads, so you can eventually pick up some ideas…
some mice a day…have you a jack russel terrier?
meat from the surrounding is a good idea…is hunting free in germany?
ciao giorgio
no, but all things towards getting the bordering hunting grounds and becoming the hunters license are on their way 
HV_Druck holzgas columbien pdf.pdf (3.1 MB)
maybee this document is helpfull for your project…in german language
Hi,
Thank you for the pdf, it has been very helpful.
i think i am able to run the first tests regarding Pyrolysis, woodgas and charcoal production.
i will expand the burning chamber with a helium flask for party balloons, pictures will follow
Greetings