Good day, brain inventors! As it turns out, charcoal is a very useful thing with a wide range of applications; with its help you can even start an internal combustion engine without any special modifications to the latter.
While researching the topic of alternative energy sources, I found many theoretical calculations, but few practically completed and functioning homemade. I myself wanted to make something that was simple to implement and effective. under the tree, so I settled on the good old gas generator using charcoal as fuel.
After familiarizing myself with the theory and several already implemented concepts, I made my own gas generator and successfully connected it to an electricity generator. My brain trick collected, one might say, from garbage: a metal bucket with a lid, old valves, fittings, and polymer hoses. And although my prototype requires further development and subsequent modification, it really works, is cheap and easy to manufacture.
This gas generator craft produces flammable gas from coal, on which tools with an internal combustion engine successfully operate. As a result, it has a wide potential for use in the garden, country house, forest, etc. without the need for gasoline, power lines or industrial gas. It can find even greater application potential in third world countries, in places affected by disasters, in remote corners of the world, etc.
ADN-ZB/SNB Wood gas, synthesis gas, gasification, generator gas are all different names for the idea of converting certain types of organic matter into easily usable fuel. The bottom line is that when organic matter burns under low-oxygen conditions, it releases hydrogen (mostly), carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, tars and biofuels. Simply put, if you burn a log correctly, it will produce flammable smoke!
Gas generator developments have been used in the distant past. This is how combustible smoke was supplied to houses and street lamps in the late 1800s, and only then was it replaced by natural smoke brain gas. Wood gas generators powered thousands of cars across Europe during World War II, when petroleum fuel was hard to come by.
Describing the processes during gas generation, one could write an entire doctoral dissertation, so I will leave this matter to the experts and mention only a few references:
There are many designs of gas generators using wood or organic matter as fuel. From simple ones for private work to large shiny industrial gas generators. All of them can be divided into:
Biofuels, or heavy oils and resins, are produced through a process of thermal depolymerization. “At high temperature and under pressure, long-chain polymers of hydrogen, oxygen and carbon break down into short-chain hydrocarbons.” Biofuel burns well, and when divided into fractions, it can be used to produce gasoline similar to that obtained from oil. There are even papers on extracting biofuels from algae, so keep an eye out for these developments!
It should be mentioned that using biofuel is cool, but it will reduce the life of your engine.
The specificity of gas generation using charcoal is that long polymer chains have already been removed during the creation of this charcoal, that is, during further gas generation, vapors without resins will be released. The charcoal itself can be made yourself in a 160 liter or 250 liter barrel, but I used charcoal purchased at the store in my prototype craft.
To create your own brain prototype For the gas generator, I used a large bucket, a paint bucket, small metal plates, fittings and taps.
A more complete list of necessary materials and tools looks like this:
As a "consumer" in my gas generator brain experiment I decided to use my father's generator, whose fuel system had broken down. I fixed the leak in the fuel pump and made some modifications for subsequent operation on gas. Namely, I installed a bracket plate for my adapter, consisting of a tee and a ball valve. The tee is connected to the carburetor, through its second hole combustible gases enter from the gas generator, and a tap is mounted on the third hole through which fresh air is supplied.
The exhaust system is also equipped with a tee and a ball valve, through which one part of the exhaust gases is released into the atmosphere, and the other is supplied to the inlet of the gas generator, where it is mixed with clean air. This allows you to direct incompletely burned carbon monoxide back into the firebox, and also use the flow as a fan of the flame. This option was advised to me by smart people; initially, my return line was unfinished.
The reactor is assembled very simply, I will only note that the inlet of my homemade products located too low, it should be made at a distance of at least 5cm from the bottom of the bucket.
So, I cut three identical plates from sheet metal - one for the exhaust, two for the inlet. I bent two plates for the intake system along the radius of the bucket to achieve a tight fit; one of them will be installed outside, the other, for support, inside. I drilled holes in the corners of the plates for the fastening bolts, fastened them together and began drilling the inlet hole. After that, he placed one of the plates on the bucket in the designated place and drilled similar holes in the bucket itself.
Next, I inserted a steel tube into the hole so that it would go inside the bucket by more than a third and less than half. The inner part of the tube was later extended with a piece of stainless steel - this was a mistake, the consequences of which are shown at the end brain guides. Then I welded the tube and the outer plate, generously coated both plates with heat-resistant silicone and installed them on the bucket, fastening them with bolts.
I welded a fitting in the center of the third plate, drilled an outlet hole through the fitting and the plate, and 4 holes for fasteners in the corners. Then I attached this plate to the lid and duplicated the plate holes on it - one output and 4 fastening ones. Then I lubricated the plate with heat-resistant sealant and installed it in its proper place on the lid, fastening it with bolts.
I left both the lid and the bucket itself for a day for the sealant to dry.
A charcoal gas generator is considered an upward flow gas generator, that is, the air coming from below burns in the firebox, and the gases formed during this rise upward and are discharged through a hole in the lid. At the same time, the fuel itself, namely charcoal, is a fairly dusty material, and its dust particles, along with the flow of gases, can get into the engine. To avoid this, a dust filter is needed.
I assembled a simple filter from a paint can, plastic fittings and foam rubber brainsponges. I drilled a hole in the bottom of the jar and the lid for the fitting, installed and secured the fittings themselves, and filled the jar with a sponge. To ensure tightness during installation, I coated the fittings with the same sealant.
Coal in this homemade You need to use only natural wood, preferably from hard wood, but coniferous wood will do, it will just burn faster. Do not use compressed or chemically treated coal! You can buy suitable coal, but if you plan to use your own brain gas generator often, it is better to learn how to do it yourself.
The size of the coals should be more than 3mm, but not more than 2mm, this is necessary for better circulation of air flow and carbon dioxide.
Weather during my first launch homemade products It was rainy, I didn’t know how the old electricity generator, which was last started 15 years ago, would behave. But I was still confident in my success.
I inserted a lit propane burner into the reactor air intake and left it to ignite the coal. At the electricity generator, I shut off the supply of fresh air and started the starter.
During the start, the generator engine began to take on flow on its own, and I removed the burner. A short time later, a sufficient amount of flammable gas began to be produced. By supplying air and starting fluid to the starter, I helped the process of stable engine operation. I continued to start the engine and adjust the air supply to the carburetor. When the right mixture was found, the engine started running, and I successfully “powered” my reciprocating saw from it. 15 minutes after the start of work, the generator had to be turned off due to gas leaks.
The author of the gas generator on the basis of which I made my prototype says that from burning coal with a volume of 0.0045 cubic meters. in 30 minutes he gets 5 hp. I don’t know what the power of his electricity generator is, but in 15 minutes I burned much less.
IMPORTANT!!! Be careful when working with carbon monoxide (CO), it is deadly if used incorrectly! When inhaled, a CO molecule attaches to an oxygen molecule in the blood, resulting in poor absorption and resulting in multiple organ failure. Follow the rules for working with gases and work in air or a well-ventilated area!
The prototype has been made and is functional, the only downside is a gas leak. Therefore, I made a gas generator version 2.0 with the following modifications:
At the carburetor inlet I installed a 5mm metal plate with a thread for a ∅ 2cm pipe; the plate is secured with two bolts and an additional strip of metal for rigidity. When installing the plate, I used release paper, which avoided leaks.
I replaced the PEX hose because it was melting on the gas generator cover, and I didn’t have good clamps for it. Instead, I installed a flexible metal hose, which I removed from the return system. It fits perfectly into the pipe and fittings, in which it locks tightly when turning, but at the outlet of the gas generator it is better to secure it with a U-bolt.
Leaks fixed!
Combustion requires three things: air, fuel, and an igniter. This homemade has a lot of heat (ignition) and coal (fuel) in the reactor, so the only way to stop its operation is to cut off the air supply. To do this, you only need one threaded plug or valve, which, if necessary, closes the inlet.
To stop brain reactor I closed the inlet hole with a plug and left it overnight, in the morning it was cool and did not produce gas.
Gas compression and storage
All results are knowledge, and not all assumptions are correct. For example, I thought that I could compress the generated gas and put it in a cylinder, and then use it like regular propane. But I encountered a problem that this compressed gas does not ignite. I thought since the generator engine lights up, then I will light it, but in reality this is not the case. Maybe the reason is that the 12 volt compressor did not create the necessary concentration and you should try with a more powerful compressor.
Reactor materials
The temperature in the firebox was very high and my piece of stainless steel, which I used to extend the inlet tube, melted. It turned out to be a chrome-plated shiny trinket and simply melted in the firebox. And also, as I mentioned, the inlet is initially located too low and does not provide the required reaction zone and ash space.
Electricity generator
Since the generator is not mine, but my father’s, I will have to return it, and buy something suitable for myself and install everything on a mobile platform to expand the range of connected devices: water pump, fan, hydraulic pump, etc.
Independent coal production
The fuel of my gas generator is coal, so for complete autonomy and savings, I should purchase a couple of iron barrels and make an installation for the production of charcoal.
This is how I made a gas generator and “powered” the electricity generator with it, I hope it was interesting and useful!
Good luck in your homemade products!
Natural gas is the cheapest source of energy for a heating system. But gas isn't that cheap these days. Therefore, many homeowners prefer to use alternative gas generators running on wood or sawdust in their heating systems.
And in this article we will look at the process of creating such a gas generator. After studying this material, you will be able to assemble a wood-burning gas generator with your own hands and take advantage of all the benefits of an alternative heating method.
Combustible gas can be produced not only from a well. For example, if you heat firewood to 1100 degrees Celsius, limiting the access of oxygen to the fuel oxidation zone, the combustion process will enter the stage of thermal decomposition - pyrolysis. The result of pyrolysis will be the conversion of cellulose into low molecular weight olefins - flammable gases ethylene and propylene.
Moreover, the efficiency of a “pyrolysis” boiler is 1.5-2 times higher than that of a conventional solid fuel “heater”. After all, low-molecular olefins released during pyrolysis release much more energy during combustion than burning cellulose.
As a result, a generator using sawdust, firewood, cake or any other source of cellulose operates according to the following scheme:
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The heated walls of the boiler can be connected to a water “jacket”, turning the gas generator into a regular water heating boiler, or used as a heating element of an air convector.
By building a wood gas generator with your own hands, you can count on the following benefits:
In addition, it is necessary to note the ability to fully automate the boiler operation process.
Of course, you cannot create a fully automatic gas generator with your own hands, but industrial models can work for weeks, consuming fuel from a bunker and controlling the process of heating the coolant without operator participation.
The negative side of the practice of using wood-burning gas generators includes the following facts:
But all the shortcomings “pay off” with an abundance of positive characteristics and economical operation of the heating device. Therefore, purchasing a gas generator, and even more so independently building such a “heating device” is a very profitable business. And below in the text we will describe the process of creating a wood-burning gas generator.
Before assembling the gas generator and transforming this device into a heating boiler, we need to prepare the components and parts from which this unit will be assembled.
Moreover, the classic design of a wood-burning gas generator involves the use of the following components during the assembly process:
In addition, we will need a grate - it is needed to separate the coals in the combustion chamber, beams and doors - they provide access to the cavity of the housing, including the bunker or combustion chamber.
Having prepared all the specified elements, we can begin assembling the gas generator, carried out according to the following plan:
The boiler assembled in this way is equipped with air compressors (air distributor and supply duct into the firewood combustion chamber) and an exhaust pipe (chimney). Well, at the very end, a water jacket with inlet and outlet fittings is installed on the boiler body, preferably in the area of the secondary combustion chamber, in which the coolant will circulate. Moreover, the jacket can be placed in the double walls of the housing or olefin combustion chamber.
Over thousands of years of history, humanity has learned to extract oil and gas, invented electricity, uses wind and solar energy, but still burns wood in furnaces. Firewood, sawdust, old wood, waste from wood processing enterprises - all this can be used if you make a wood-burning gas generator with your own hands.
Many craftsmen successfully use this device for the home and even for the car. If you are interested in this topic, or have an idea to make a generator yourself, we will tell you how to implement it in practice.
In our material we will talk about the principle of operation of a wood-burning gas generator, the advantages and disadvantages of such a system, as well as how to assemble such a device yourself.
Burning wood quickly in the open air produces mainly some useful heat. But wood behaves completely differently under the so-called, i.e. when burning in the presence of very little oxygen.
In such a situation, it is not so much combustion that is observed, but rather smoldering of the wood. And the useful product of this process is not heat, but flammable gas.
Gas generators were once actively used as a fuel supplier for cars. And now you can occasionally find cars that run on the gas they produce:
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When wood burns slowly, the output is a mixture containing the following products:
Only part of these ingredients are flammable gases, the rest is pollution or non-flammable ballast, which is better to get rid of. Therefore, it is necessary not only to burn the wood in a special installation, but also to purify the result, and also to cool the resulting gas mixture.
In industrial production conditions, this process includes the following steps:
Homemade devices for home use look simpler and take up less space, but the principle of their operation, as well as the design, are very similar. Before starting the manufacture of such a device, you need to think everything through carefully, and also draw up or find a design for the unit.
To supply gaseous fuel to a gasoline engine, it must be cooled, cleaned and mixed with air in suitable proportions. To do this, the unit must be equipped with an ignition fan, a cyclone, a filter, a mixer and a cooler.
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Step 8: Homemade gas generator in “full growth”
All that remains is to supplement the homemade gas generator with devices that ensure normal operation and resolve issues with installing it on a motorcycle with a sidecar.
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Of course, the closer the size and configuration of a homemade gas generator to an industrial model, the more efficient the device will be. It is difficult, and not necessary, to make an exact copy of a gas generator manufactured at a factory at home.
It’s easier to copy a ready-made homemade unit by asking acquaintances, friends for it, or even simply using information on the Internet.
First, the main components of the gas generator are manufactured, then they are assembled into one whole device. To make such a device, you need to prepare the following elements:
The housing, sometimes called a fill chamber, can be either cylindrical or cubic in shape. Therefore, the craftsman has two options for its manufacture: use a suitable metal container, slightly modifying it, or make the case “from scratch” from a corner and sheet metal.
To make a homemade gas generator, you can use available materials, for example, a metal barrel, old gas cylinders, a fire extinguisher body, etc.
A bunker for solid fuel is made in the same way, that is, also from a metal sheet and a corner. Later, the hopper is fixed inside the housing, so its dimensions must be appropriate. However, sometimes it is easier to turn part of the gas generator housing into a bunker. To do this, part of the space is separated using metal plates.
The material suitable for the inside of a wood-burning gas generator is low carbon steel. The housing should be covered with a tight-fitting lid. Sealing is an important condition for the correct operation of the generator, since this is how the supply of a limited amount of oxygen is ensured.
A homemade gas generator is a fairly heavy device; care should be taken to ensure its stability. To do this, strong legs are welded to the bottom of the body. The lid through which fuel is loaded deserves special attention.
Sometimes it can be heavy and it’s not easy to lift it yourself. To solve the problem, you can use a special shock absorber spring.
The combustion chamber will require special heat-resistant steel, since this is where the fuel burns at very high temperatures. However, for these purposes you can successfully use an empty household gas cylinder. Both a new container and a used one will do.
If the gas cylinder for the manufacture of a household gas generator has previously been used, it is better to fill it with water before starting welding work. This will prevent possible combustion of residual gas.
The metal neck of the combustion chamber, in which another important process is carried out - resin cracking - should be separated from the other elements with special heat-resistant gaskets. Asbestos is considered a completely suitable material for this, but it is better to use more modern and safe materials.
The air distribution unit is connected to the structure using a fitting, next to which a check valve is installed. The task of this element is to regulate the flow of air to the fuel and prevent leakage of the resulting combustible gas, for which the creation of the generator was started.
Between the air distribution box and the middle part of the combustion chamber there must be special calibration holes-tuyeres. After the combustion chamber, a filter system is installed to clean the resulting gas mixture from contaminants. The grate is designed to clean the combustion chamber.
It is usually made of cast iron. To facilitate the cleaning process, the middle part of the grate can be made movable or removable. The doors provide access to various sections of the gas generator and are used for loading firewood, cleaning the combustion chamber, etc. Of course, all such doors must be airtight and sealed with heat-resistant gaskets.
A pipe is mounted below, through which the resulting gas mixture enters the filter unit and then into the cooler. To make a small cyclone filter, you can use the body of an old fire extinguisher or another metal container of a suitable size and configuration.
This diagram clearly demonstrates the design and operating principle of a cyclonic cleaning filter. With its help, you can perform primary purification of the gas obtained as a result of the operation of the gas generator
It works this way: contaminated hot gas is pumped into the upper part of the cyclone. Then, in the round housing, it begins to rotate. Under the influence of centrifugal forces, particles of contaminants move to the lower part of the device and leave it through the discharge opening. The purified gas exits through another hole at the top of the filter.
At home, you can use a regular radiator as a cooler or make a special coil. Hot gas moves along such a long structure and gradually cools down. If desired, water cooling can be arranged.
It is believed that a household gas generator is capable of “digesting” wood of any moisture content, even 50%, which is typical for a freshly cut tree. In practice, it turns out that the higher the fuel moisture, the lower the efficiency of the gas generator. It is not recommended to load the device with fuel whose humidity exceeds 20%.
A small modification of the device will correct the situation. A ring gas pipeline should be drawn from the combustion chamber nozzle, placing it in the space between the walls of the housing and the outside of the loading chamber. As a result, part of the thermal energy will be transferred to the fuel, which will reduce its moisture content. In addition, cooling will take less time and the generator efficiency will increase.
Sometimes the expectations of private home owners who are thinking about purchasing or making a gas generator themselves turn out to be too rosy compared to the real situation.
There is an opinion that the efficiency of a gas generator, which is about 95%, significantly exceeds the efficiency of a conventional one, which reaches 60-70%. These figures are generally correct, but it is incorrect to compare them.
In the manufacture of a homemade gas generator, used gas cylinders, cans, kitchen utensils, etc. are used. The practically free device economically consumes not the most expensive fuel with fairly high performance
The first indicator reflects the efficiency of production of combustible gas, and the second - the amount of heat obtained during operation of the boiler. In both cases, wood burns, but the result of this process is qualitatively different. If in the future the combustible gas obtained by pyrolysis combustion of wood is used to heat a home, such a comparison can be made.
It is also worth remembering that homemade gas generators, although they can work with high efficiency, are rarely as effective as industrial models. This point should be taken into account at the stage of designing the unit and calculating the cost of the project and its expected efficiency.
If the need to create a gas generator is due only to the desire to improve the heating system at home, you should pay attention to a similar device - which works on very similar principles. Its main difference from a gas generator is that the resulting gas is immediately burned, and the resulting energy is used to heat the coolant in the home heating system.
In such a device, an additional combustion chamber is installed, into which it is necessary to organize a separate air supply. If you need to heat the house using a gas generator, you will need more for heating. This will increase the cost of upgrading or installing heating. It is necessary to calculate whether in this case the game is worth the candle?
An important point is proper maintenance of the gas generator during its operation. Advertising claims that this is a universal device in which everything burns: from sawdust to freshly cut wood. But the advertisement is silent about the fact that when loading wet raw materials, the amount of combustible gas produced can be reduced by 25% or more.
The best fuel for a household gas generator is charcoal. When burning it, too much energy is not spent on evaporating excess moisture, which allows you to obtain the maximum amount of combustible gas
The optimal fuel for a gas generator, according to experts, is charcoal. When it burns, a minimal amount of energy is consumed to evaporate moisture, which allows the pyrolysis process to be accelerated.
Vehicle owners can count on a gas generator not only for heating, but also for the operation of their vehicle. Indeed, in Europe, many motorists have quite successfully adapted their vehicles to run on wood. But most often these are compact and durable devices made of thin and durable stainless steel.
The cost of such units, even those made independently, is not at all small. In Russian realities, gas generators for cars are made from improvised materials and installed on trucks.
The effect of their operation is low; usually the presence of such a unit is accompanied by such phenomena as prolonged ignition, the need to constantly operate the engine at high or medium speeds, which contributes to its rapid wear.
For a car, it is best to use a high-quality gas generator made of durable stainless steel, having a relatively light weight and compact dimensions.
An interesting option for using a gas generator in private households is the use of combustible gas for a home power plant. Such a project is being implemented using a diesel internal combustion engine.
This video demonstrates the process of operation of a homemade gas generator:
Here is an interesting experience on creating a homemade gas generator, taking into account the mistakes made:
This is a variant of a compact gas generator designed for installation on a vehicle:
Making a viable gas generator with your own hands is not so easy. Most often, such units are made for cars, but they are also quite effective in homes. A skilled craftsman who is not afraid of difficulties and is ready to experiment is fully capable of this task.
If, while reading the information, you have questions or have recommendations for assembling a wood-burning gas generator yourself, please leave your comments below.
Gasification is the process of converting organic or fossil carbonaceous materials into carbon monoxide, hydrogen and carbon dioxide. This is achieved by reacting the material at high temperature (>700°C) without ignition with controlled amounts of oxygen and/or steam. The resulting gas mixture is called synthesis gas(short for synthetic gas) or wood gas, and is itself a fuel. The energy obtained by burning such gas is considered a type of renewable energy if the gasified mixture was obtained from biomass.
One of the most typical applications of this energy is thermal power generation. Wood gas contains a large amount of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, and does not emit substances that pollute the environment when burned. Wood gas — source of environmentally friendly renewable emission-free energy.
Difficulties
Wood gasification technologies have been researched and developed for over 100 years. However, difficulties in operating a controlled and sufficiently clean gasification process make it difficult to implement it for commercial use, such as in power plants. The biggest obstacle was the tar released during the pyrolysis process, which over time destroyed the engines. In addition, the quality of wood chips, and in particular the percentage of moisture content in them, set strict restrictions in the selection and processing of crushed biomass. to her
The solution is an innovative pyrolysis method.
The GASEK wood gasifier is a so-called direct-flow gasifier. It is based on pyrolysis techniques that have been developed and improved over the past 30 years. The processed biomass moves in the reactor in the same direction as the gasifying air, supplied in quantities significantly less than required for combustion.
The biggest difference from the old, problematic technology is the temperature and method of purifying the resulting gas. A key factor in the gasification process is achieving high temperatures (800-1200°C), which prevents the formation of destructive tars. As a result, the resin compositions are broken down into lighter particles that do not pose problems for engines. Wood gas passing through the GASEK purification line is colorless and odorless and does not emit harmful substances when burned.
Purified wood gas enables the production of efficient, low-maintenance and long-lasting equipment for power plants. A number of international patents have been obtained for GASEK gasification technology.
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