Woody Gasifier

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9 Comments

Comment by Spencer D on September 24, 2009 at 12:53pm

Feedstock is a constant subject. Just to pick your brain, try and follow me,
The best feedstocks are usually the most dense, or a high btu. value(hardwoods and pellets). I've had an inside look at pellet production and come across something interesting. The best pellets are not the one's made of hardwoods as some say, the best are the most dense. Whatever the manufacturer says, Many pellets do include hardwood,but most is composed of refuse biomass including leaves, grass, and an entire pulverized building here and there.The best pellets are the most dense, you know the one's that sound like an asprin breaking in half. The density and dryness (ideal 10% moisture) are the major contributors to the inferno.
So I propose to treat the feedstock much like pellet production, get it dry get it uniform as well as compress the hell out of it, well not absurdly. When I say compress it I mean into the pyrolysis zone. This is not an easy task and requires a fair amount of knowledge in augers and plug augers to be specific. A constant torque and plugging style auger can compress feed while at the same time (if a head of material is maintained in the shoot feeding the auger) maintaining a very affective air-lock keeping your nozzles doing there job. This break down is obviously over simplified and just touches the tip of the iceberg,
What are your thoughts, how about some

Remember you could just open a pellet plant.

Comment by Paul Drieman on September 8, 2009 at 8:35pm

Thanks Ben for the great videos and enthusiasm you share!

Comment by ben on August 6, 2009 at 10:21am

Matthew,

I am haggling hard with suppliers to get the price down to $4500-6500 in stainless steel. Thats hopper, hearth, base, filters, etc. The higher part of the range will be for a motorized version for chips.

Cheers,
Ben

Comment by Matthew D. on July 31, 2009 at 10:57am

Does anyone know how much the woody cost?

Comment by Jeff Currao on June 26, 2009 at 1:08pm

I think I will change the photo of me. One that shows me getting my hands dirty
Anyhow, I love this site and all the ideas put into action.
I have a idea of running tubes in the reactor zone,external,internal or both, so that the
high heat can be used to produce steam. the steam runs the engine that runs the chipper/drier and pellet maker and if I'm lucky run the auto feeder.

Comment by randy ury on March 29, 2009 at 3:10pm

i am curious as to what is the ideal engine to run from wood
gasification? Would a Lister type be a good choice?

Comment by Rich Carter on March 20, 2009 at 4:17am

Great stuff Ben.
Boy are we going to need these with the way our nation is heading.
I cant afford one yet but where there is a will ther's a way right?

Comment by Bill on March 15, 2009 at 10:08pm

The future is right here for all. Get off the grid. Independence from foreign oil.

Comment by Rich1 on March 15, 2009 at 10:16am

You're stuff is tight!