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MISSOURI WOOD GASIFIER
First Printing December, I981 Revised January, 1983
This manual was assembled by Norman Lenhardt of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources with the assistance of Don Varney and Rose Carter of the Agricultural Section, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Energy. The typing and secretarial skills of Donna Lepper and Donna Dickneire and the math conversions ( in the appendix) by Dale Schafersman are greatly appreciated.
This manual was made possible by agrant from the Department of Natural Resources, Division of Energy to the Moniteau County R #I Schools of California , Missouri. Systems Oesion & Construction.
Patent Pending by R & R Wood Products, California , Missouri This sawmill gasifier was designed and constructed by Raymond Rissler of California , Missouri . He has graciously agreed to share his knowledge and design with us for public distribution.
Cover photo from "Gen Gas the Swedish Experiment from 1939 t o 1945".
To obtain the English translation of this book, you will need to order from U.S. Department of Commerce National Technical Information Service; 5285 Port Royal Road; Springfield , VA 22161. Price was
$324.00 as of Apri1 , 1981.
PAGE 1
The design and construction of this sawmill wood gasifier was made possible
by agrant from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Division of Energy to the Reorganized School District #I of Moniteau County (California, MO).
The Department of Natural Resources-Energy Division issued this grant because of the energy, the money and the jobs that can be utilized by the future uses of wood gasification.
According to figures from page 34 of a 1978 publication by the Missouri Department of Conservation, Forestry Section, entitled "Wood Residues in Missouri"; there are 847.22 million (mm) pounds of unused equivalent oven dry pounds of sawdust and shavings produced annually in Missouri. This converts to 1,236,286 barrels of No. 2 fuel oil or about 1% of Missouri's average annual oil and gaso1ine consumption. This also converts to $37,088,580 at $30-per barrel.
Over 90% of the money that Missourians spend on oil permanently leaves the state. For each $30,000 of energy dollars exported we lose one job to an oil producing state or country. This is 1,236 jobs lost because we are not utilizing these two waste products. This is a serious drain on Missouri's economy.
PAGE 2
The technician that construced the gen gas unit had worked with a number of smaller size units since 1974. After agreat deal of research and experimentation, two successful small units were finally operational. The knowledge and experienc gained from these small units was the basis for a larger unit now successfully operating at a local sawmill. A system design patent has been initiated for this unit.
The actual documented expense for the materials and parts on this gen gas unit is approximately $1,900 not including labor and administrative cost. Some additional parts on hand were not included in the cost. It is estimated these additional parts and supplies would add approximately $300 to the cost for a total of $2,200 for materials . Labor hours include
72 hours to convert and adapt the engine to gen gas. Construction of the gasifier , coolers, filters , and dryer took 116.5 hours, travel to locate materials required 41.5 hours. The total hours came to 230 hours.
Many recycled items were used in this gasifier. We have not tried to figure a cost based on new materials. These vary widely from place to place because of availability and the ingenuity of the people involved. Depending on materials on hand, your cost may be more or less for the same size unit.
PAGE 3
This is an explanation of the working parts involved in the construction of a down draft gasifier. This particular unit runs with sawdust as a fuel that is converted to a low BTU gas, approximately 150 t o 200 BTU/standard cubic foot (SCF), compared to natural gas which contains 1,000 BTU's per SCF.
Because of the lower BTU content, the normal internal combustion engine will be derated (horsepower reduced) by about 50%. The heat content of gas from this sawdust burning unit does not greatly differ from the BTU value of any other wood fuel converted to gas in any similar air induced wood gasifier.
The core of the unit or the area where fuel is converted to gas is called the hearth area. This is the area where burning takes-place with the correct amount of oxygen admitted to maintain enough fire to generate enough heat to gasify that part of the fuel which is not required to sustain the fire. If too much oxygen is allowed to enter the hearth, all of the fuel will be converted to carbon dioxide (C02) and water vapor. The C02 and water vapor will not
produce power in the engine.
When oxygen in the air mixture intake is limited in the hearth area, most of the wood is converted to carbon monoxide (CO), some hydrogen and a few other combustible gases and water vapor. Carbon monoxide plus oxygen will burn to produce heat and pressure which is converted to power inside an internal
PAGE 4
combustion engine. (Hydrogen and the other gen gases will also burn, but the water vapor will not burn; therefore most water should be removed by cooling the gen gas.) A good filter is absolutely essential for an internal combustion engine.
One reason for the low heat value of the produce of this type gasifier is that air contains about 80% nitrogen. Nitrogen is not combustible.
The hearth is where the required burning and gasification takes place. (See drawing 1, 1A & 1B)
The hearth area is composed of agrate at the bottom, a restricter ring, a combustion zone and the air intake nozzles, referred to in the literature as toures.
The hearth is acylindrical shape, essentially one cylinder inside another with a space between the cylinders for passage of incoming air.
The grate supports the fuel. In this unit the grate is a discarded hammermill screen located a few inches below the restricter ring, and is the same diameter as the smallest cylinder.
A heat sensing device (pyrometer) is installed immediately below the restricter, but above the grate and extending into the hottest area of the grate. The pyrometer measures the effect of any changes or adjustments made in air flow
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First Printing December, I981 Revised January, 1983
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This manual was assembled by Norman Lenhardt of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources with the assistance of Don Varney and Rose Carter of the Agricultural Section, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Energy. The typing and secretarial skills of Donna Lepper and Donna Dickneire and the math conversions ( in the appendix) by Dale Schafersman are greatly appreciated.
Grant Funding
This manual was made possible by agrant from the Department of Natural Resources, Division of Energy to the Moniteau County R #I Schools of California , Missouri. Systems Oesion & Construction.
Patent Pending by R & R Wood Products, California , Missouri This sawmill gasifier was designed and constructed by Raymond Rissler of California , Missouri . He has graciously agreed to share his knowledge and design with us for public distribution.
Cover photo from "Gen Gas the Swedish Experiment from 1939 t o 1945".
To obtain the English translation of this book, you will need to order from U.S. Department of Commerce National Technical Information Service; 5285 Port Royal Road; Springfield , VA 22161. Price was
$324.00 as of Apri1 , 1981.
PAGE 1
MISSOURI GEN GAS
The design and construction of this sawmill wood gasifier was made possible
by agrant from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Division of Energy to the Reorganized School District #I of Moniteau County (California, MO).
The Department of Natural Resources-Energy Division issued this grant because of the energy, the money and the jobs that can be utilized by the future uses of wood gasification.
According to figures from page 34 of a 1978 publication by the Missouri Department of Conservation, Forestry Section, entitled "Wood Residues in Missouri"; there are 847.22 million (mm) pounds of unused equivalent oven dry pounds of sawdust and shavings produced annually in Missouri. This converts to 1,236,286 barrels of No. 2 fuel oil or about 1% of Missouri's average annual oil and gaso1ine consumption. This also converts to $37,088,580 at $30-per barrel.
Over 90% of the money that Missourians spend on oil permanently leaves the state. For each $30,000 of energy dollars exported we lose one job to an oil producing state or country. This is 1,236 jobs lost because we are not utilizing these two waste products. This is a serious drain on Missouri's economy.
PAGE 2
The technician that construced the gen gas unit had worked with a number of smaller size units since 1974. After agreat deal of research and experimentation, two successful small units were finally operational. The knowledge and experienc gained from these small units was the basis for a larger unit now successfully operating at a local sawmill. A system design patent has been initiated for this unit.
The actual documented expense for the materials and parts on this gen gas unit is approximately $1,900 not including labor and administrative cost. Some additional parts on hand were not included in the cost. It is estimated these additional parts and supplies would add approximately $300 to the cost for a total of $2,200 for materials . Labor hours include
72 hours to convert and adapt the engine to gen gas. Construction of the gasifier , coolers, filters , and dryer took 116.5 hours, travel to locate materials required 41.5 hours. The total hours came to 230 hours.
Many recycled items were used in this gasifier. We have not tried to figure a cost based on new materials. These vary widely from place to place because of availability and the ingenuity of the people involved. Depending on materials on hand, your cost may be more or less for the same size unit.
PAGE 3
COMPONENT PARTS EXPLANATION
This is an explanation of the working parts involved in the construction of a down draft gasifier. This particular unit runs with sawdust as a fuel that is converted to a low BTU gas, approximately 150 t o 200 BTU/standard cubic foot (SCF), compared to natural gas which contains 1,000 BTU's per SCF.
ENGINE POWER LOSS
Because of the lower BTU content, the normal internal combustion engine will be derated (horsepower reduced) by about 50%. The heat content of gas from this sawdust burning unit does not greatly differ from the BTU value of any other wood fuel converted to gas in any similar air induced wood gasifier.
The Hearth & Air Intake
The core of the unit or the area where fuel is converted to gas is called the hearth area. This is the area where burning takes-place with the correct amount of oxygen admitted to maintain enough fire to generate enough heat to gasify that part of the fuel which is not required to sustain the fire. If too much oxygen is allowed to enter the hearth, all of the fuel will be converted to carbon dioxide (C02) and water vapor. The C02 and water vapor will not
produce power in the engine.
When oxygen in the air mixture intake is limited in the hearth area, most of the wood is converted to carbon monoxide (CO), some hydrogen and a few other combustible gases and water vapor. Carbon monoxide plus oxygen will burn to produce heat and pressure which is converted to power inside an internal
PAGE 4
combustion engine. (Hydrogen and the other gen gases will also burn, but the water vapor will not burn; therefore most water should be removed by cooling the gen gas.) A good filter is absolutely essential for an internal combustion engine.
One reason for the low heat value of the produce of this type gasifier is that air contains about 80% nitrogen. Nitrogen is not combustible.
Hearth Component Design Explanation
The hearth is where the required burning and gasification takes place. (See drawing 1, 1A & 1B)
The hearth area is composed of agrate at the bottom, a restricter ring, a combustion zone and the air intake nozzles, referred to in the literature as toures.
The hearth is acylindrical shape, essentially one cylinder inside another with a space between the cylinders for passage of incoming air.
The grate supports the fuel. In this unit the grate is a discarded hammermill screen located a few inches below the restricter ring, and is the same diameter as the smallest cylinder.
A heat sensing device (pyrometer) is installed immediately below the restricter, but above the grate and extending into the hottest area of the grate. The pyrometer measures the effect of any changes or adjustments made in air flow
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