Phantom: I put some paper in a bucket after reading your post, but I haven't been able to get around to it so far. I'll let you know how it goes.
hypermiler01: My preference is to use split wood, but I'm not done with testing other possible fuel sources yet. I might make it accept a more diverse array of fuels. And when you say "enough," it seems to imply that it would take a lot of wood. I could split all the wood I would need for a month in a few hours, so time and effort (for splitting wood) is not an issue. Plus, it is good exercise, and I'd be killing multiple birds with one stone (safely removing dead trees, so they don't fall and injure/damage animals, people, or other trees). So money saved (money earned) is not the only benefit, and I would be doing almost all of the work anyway. Looking at it strictly monetarily, I would "earn" about $300 for a few hours' extra work one saturday/sunday a month, once built.
I am seeking several types of efficiencies. Monetarily, the money can be used better elsewhere, especially since I have an unlimited fuel source (fuel resource efficiency) that I haven't exploited at all. Environmentally, I wouldn't be using sunk carbon, or paying others to damage the environment to find more fossil fuels. The materials and tools are already in my possession as well, so it would be mostly time and research that I'd invest. Kaizen is another major reason. I could go on, but any of those would be reason enough to do it on its own... assuming it is feasible, which I have yet to determine. But, to more directly answer your question about my use of time, I do not run my personal life like a business (planned, optimized actions, and so forth). They are two very different things, and strategies for success in both differ greatly (in fact, they are almost opposite n many ways). So long as my actions are productive, and myself and those around me enjoy them and benefit from them, that's what I do.
And yeah, I could just get a little people carrier for a daily driver. I don't really carry anything very often, which is one main reason why I'm considering my alternatives-- buy a fuel-efficient car, or modify mine to use less pump gas. I haven't ruled out getting a little people carrier, though. But first I'm looking into the gasifier. If I find a way to make it feasible, it would be better for the environment (planet) and my wallet (among other things) than just buying a more fuel-efficient car. Since the truck has an open bed, I wouldn't need to make many modifications to the truck itself. The truck also happens to have a few other advantages that make adding a gasifier easier than normal.
MorphDaCivic: The main reason gasifiers are suited best for stationary generators is that they perform best within a narrow fuel demand range. Since the fuel demand in a vehicle engine (when driving) often varies by more than 1000%, something has to give. What most people do is design the gasifier for a certain demand, then keep the engine's RPM within a given percent of that demand (running around in high RPM all the time). My solution is to keep demand constant by using a blower that adjusts itself to supplement demand when actual engine demand is low (so I don't have to change my on-road driving style much, if at all). That way, if engine demand is low, the gasifier is still operating optimally internally (though the fuel is going to waste). Since I have effectively unlimited fuel, this is not an issue for me.
I haven't had time to brainstorm any design modifications for the burn chamber, unfortunately. When I have time and get some ideas, I'll update.
Hopefully I'll have time this week.