Wood gasification

I am spreading a load of rock so I have had lots of time to think.

Can someone explain in simple terms how wood gasification works? I have always worked on old VWs and I recall pictures in a book of mine of a Beetle prototype from 1938 (during the war) that Hitler had built that made fuel out of wood. It sort of looked like they cut a round hole in the front trunk lid and put a smoker in it. I have seen articles on it with other things over the years as well but there wasn't a good explanation. The physics (or maybe chemistry) of it just escapes me. Is volitile fuel ("gas") the only thing you can generate?

I suppose I could likely Google it, but I would probably only find moms in my area needing to "hook up".

(quoted from post at 15:55:51 07/29/15) I am spreading a load of rock so I have had lots of time to think.

Can someone explain in simple terms how wood gasification works? I have always worked on old VWs and I recall pictures in a book of mine of a Beetle prototype from 1938 (during the war) that Hitler had built that made fuel out of wood. It sort of looked like they cut a round hole in the front trunk lid and put a smoker in it. I have seen articles on it with other things over the years as well but there wasn't a good explanation. The physics (or maybe chemistry) of it just escapes me. Is volitile fuel ("gas") the only thing you can generate?

I suppose I could likely Google it, but I would probably only find moms in my area needing to "hook up".

Click to expand...

o technical details.......

There is a show on one of the history channels where a guy built one for his pickup. The show is called Mountain men. Supposedly it works but takes a good bit of filtering of the smoke to keep from messing up the engine

As I understand it, the basis is a dual chamber affair. The first chamber contains the combustion material [wood, coal, etc] and acts as the heat source for the second chamber. The second chamber contains wood or cellulose that, when heated in an oxygen poor environment, exudes combustible fumes. These off-gases can be used to fuel an internal combustion engine or similar. Not extremely efficient but it works. I intend to use one in the new house as a heating source. The off-gases will be recycled into the combustion chamber and will in turn heat via a water jacket.

Years ago my uncle built one, no plans just put it together. Tried it to run his pickup, did ok except for the hills (drove I84 from CT to NY). He used to take it to engine shows run his engine from it, use the engine to run a buzzsaw to cut wood for the gasifier.

I have a unit here on my farm. My Dad used one exclusively during WW2 in Holland to power his custom threshing business---he had to, since there was no gasoline allotment. After he retired here in 1987 from dairy farming and operating a farm repair business,he decided to build one just to show his Canadian friends that indeed his tractor ran on "...old fence posts and tree stumps..." He mounted it on a 1952 E27N Fordson tractor. My Dad has since passed, but my brother and I usually fire it up once a year just for fun.

The combustible gases given of by heating the wood (or almoat any organic matertial) are a combination of methane, hydrogen and carbon dioxide which in itself is not combustible but aids in the gasification process. Dad's outfit would burn 30 lbs of dry cedar wood per hour while producing 20 to 25 HP in the Fordson.

The process involves heating the 'fuel ' to a temperature at which it starts to 'gas off' in an oxygen poor environment. If you are familiar with wood stoves you have no doubt heard one go "whoomp" when you opened a door or allowed air to enter. That 'whoomp' is the gases given off by the wood suddenly receiving a bit of oxygen and igniting. In the gasification process, the oxygen )air) is allowed to enter the combustion area in a controlled process producing a more or less steady flow of combustible gas which are forced to enter the engine and burnt there.

Let me know if I can be of any help .

Ben

Back in the early 80's, a Caddy and a huge RV came to Clemson on their way across country using wood for fuel. They had little trailers behind with the units on them.
My Dad said when he was in France during the big war, there were lots of French army trucks had units on the running boards.
Richard in NW SC

In Terre Haute we have one of the first coal gasification power plants, Duke. They turn the coal into a gas, then run it through a gas turbine to make electricity.

Then we have a college, Saint Mary of the Woods. They take tree branches, grind them up and turn them into a gas to heat the college with.

Now there are plans to take the sewer sludge from the city and turn it into diesel. A lot of politics at play. Some say it will not work, cost too much.

I've read where car tires can be turned back into diesel.

Not sure of all the chemistry either.
Methanol

Google "wood gas" or "producer gas" and you will get more info then you want.