The Basics
The Science of Biomass Gasification
Gasifier Types
How to Build a Gasifier
Gasifier Experimenters Kit (GEK)
Quadrafier (4 in 1)
Gas-can-o-fire
Cigifier
GMC truck
Other Designs Online
Gasifier System Components
Technical Resources
Gasification Worshop (June, 08)
forward to Gasfier Experimenters Kit
Gasification
Gasification is the use of heat
to tranform solid biomass, or other carbonaceous solids, into a synthetic "natural gas like" flammable fuel. There are a wide variety of processes which fall under this general term- but all share the characteristic of transforming solid hydrocarbon material into simple hydrocarbon gases. The resulting gaseous fuel is usually called: "syngas", "woodgas", "producer gas", "generator gas" or "suction gas".
Through gasification, we can convert nearly any solid waste biomass into a clean burning, carbon neutral, gaseous fuel. Whether starting with wood chips or coffee grounds, municipal trash or agricultrual waste, the end product is a flexible gaseous fuel you can burn in your internal combustion engine, cooking stove, heating furnace and/or flamethrower. Upmigration to liquid fuels is also possible with some additional effort and common catalysts.
Sound impossible?
Well, over one million vehicles in Europe ran onboard gasifiers during WWII to make fuel from wood and charcoal, as gasoline and diesel were rationed and/or unavailable. Long before there was biodiesel and ethanol, we actually succeeded in a large-scale, alternative fuels redeployment-- and one which curiously used only cellulosic biomass, not the oil and sugar based biofuel sources which famously compete with food.
This redeployment was made possible by the gasification of waste biomass, using simple gasifiers about as complex as a traditional wood stove. These small-scale gasifiers are easily reproduced (and improved) today by DIY enthusiasts using simple hammer and wrench technology. The same principles are applied at much larger scale and complexity to recover a wide variety of municipal, agricultural, construction, forestry and industrial waste to energy, soil amendments and other useful end products.
ALL Power Labs now offers the Gasifier Experimenters Kit (GEK) to help you get starts in the biomass thermal conversion arts and sciences.
Questions? Contact: gek_at_allpowerlabs_dot_org
