Wood gas?

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

IIRC the lack of lead was not a great concern in those early VW engines, since they can run easily on ethanol and gaseous fuels.

Originally Posted by Fingie

If the design is good enough, i'll convert a Ram van or a Chevy Astro for wood gas- with automatic gas lambda adjustment, Quick-autostart and pellet-feeding system in the future

What kind of hardware would you be considering to use to convert an EFI engine to wood gas? Do you think the same systems currently used for those CNG and LPG conversions would be OK?

The engine must be tuned with higher comp and maybe introduce a supercharger, it improves the efficiency

You could eventually try some variable-compression setup, allowing you to retain some limp-home mode on gasoline/petrol. Unless you would rather use ethanol for that matter

[RustyLugNut]

There were several gasifier powered vehicles at the event and they were road worthy.

Vehicles | Gasifiers

Jim Mason has formed a company that has built gasifiers to power communities around the world. He is easy to talk to and work with.

About Us - ALL Power Labs

[Fingie]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

IIRC the lack of lead was not a great concern in those early VW engines, since they can run easily on ethanol and gaseous fuels.


What kind of hardware would you be considering to use to convert an EFI engine to wood gas? Do you think the same systems currently used for those CNG and LPG conversions would be OK?

You could eventually try some variable-compression setup, allowing you to retain some limp-home mode on gasoline/petrol. Unless you would rather use ethanol for that matter

Probably just some standard thing like Arduino.

Controlling an engine is "Just" a bunch of inputs and outputs to control it. My coder friend could make a software to make the computer simply adjust the mixture and air inlet according to the lamda sensor.

I could use a SPFI carb system to act as a valve body and/or as a backup.

This is a faraway project. First, i'll make the generator.

If I can find a good design, I think i'll get a GMC sierra instead of a van, saw one of those yesterday :3


(yeah, we Finns liked American vehicles back in the day, nowadays it's the JDM scene that has catched on in the enthusiast side. In the daily traffic, the only americans are just Chrysler Voyagers, Daewoo-Chevrolet and Dodge/Fiat cahooeys. The new Jeep renegade looks nice tho)

[freebeard]

Originally Posted by ALL Power Labs

The process of gasification is an incomplete one, and the leftover “waste” our equipment produces from making energy is a stable form of carbon known as ‘biochar.” Sequestering this carbon is what makes biomass gasification net carbon negative energy production.

While today’s APL Power Pallets produce a relatively small amount of biochar byproduct (around 5% of input mass), it is still enough for carbon negativity in the fuel cycle. ...

Avoided CO2 emissions from not burning fossil fuel in the process are added to the wins above.

Future APL machines will introduce features that enable increased biochar yield of up to 15-20% of input mass, while still co-generating electricity.

This makes the 1/4th-cost-of-diesel and 1/2-the-capital-of-solar sound even better.

[Fingie]

I've been actively reading on this particular field. It's interesting.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Fingie

yeah, we Finns liked American vehicles back in the day, nowadays it's the JDM scene that has catched on in the enthusiast side.

Why not trying some random Jap van instead of an American full-size rig for that wood gas conversion?

[Fingie]

Jap vans are almost exclusively diesel here, and they are all sub-3L engines.

American vans are a lot of gas-equipped, and are rated for greater loads. (the gas generator system will weigh some, after all



And wood gas is so much cheaper than conventional fuels that there's not a great difference in cost. I also want an automatic, for the comfort

And I am a jap fan

[Fingie]

I'll just crank up the compression ratio and add a supercharger.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Fingie

Jap vans are almost exclusively diesel here, and they are all sub-3L engines.

At least by now it seems like Diesel lost a lot of its previous popularity in the JDM vans. So maybe a 5th-generation Toyota HiAce with the 2.7L 2TR-FE engine could be a good Guinea pig for your wood gas experiences.

American vans are a lot of gas-equipped, and are rated for greater loads. (the gas generator system will weigh some, after all

You mentioned the Chevrolet Astro. Actually a forward-control Jap van (not just the Toyota HiAce but also similar models from Mitsubishi and Nissan) have higher payloads. They're also surprisingly roomy if you take into account their relatively smaller footprint compared to an American or Euro van.

I also want an automatic, for the comfort

About 92% of the Jap fleet is automatic nowadays, so that won't be in short supply

[Fingie]

Just found out a "problem"


The car must be model year 1987 or be older... :/

Buut Finland is the promised land of old jalopies