Pederick Gas Producer

Pederick Gas Producer
Pocket Owner's Manual

Manual on

PedericK
Gas Producer

price:
one shilling and sixpence

page 2

FORWORD

It should be clearly understood by operators accustomed to driving on petrol that they must learn to drive on an entirely new fuel. If they approach the task with an open mind and take the trouble to learn the construction and function of various components of the unit, then the extra controls will be clear to them, also various symptoms will be recognised and understood.

page 3

THE two main components of the “Pederick” Gas Producer are:----

A----The Generator in which the Charcoal is burned to produce gas, and

B----The Cleaners for filtering the Gas.

GENERATOR

This is a large cylinder, sometimes described as the hopper, which holds the Charcoal. It has a large hinged lid at the top for filling, and a smaller door at the bottom for cleaning purposes. At the bottom, on one side, cut under, is the “Pedrick” patent fire plate, through which there is a hole to admit the air to the fire (this patent fire plate is used in the “Pedrick” instead of a costly water cooled “tuyere” of limited life). There is slso a compartment alongside this fire plate into which the air is first drawn hrough the two pipes seen on either side---- this is done by the suction of the engine. The air, passing the fire plate (which gets almost red hot in operation), is pre-heated before it enters the Generator, and at the same time cools the fire plate as it passes right across its face and thus prevents its destruction.

page 4

A removable plug, inserted on the outer side of the air compartment, in line with the hole through the fire plate, is removed to insert the lighting taper, and is replaced when the Charcoal lights up

WATER TANK

Attached to one side of the Generator is a circular water tank, water being used to enrich the gas. This water is fed by drip feed into one of the air intake pipes on the side of the Generator and when it reaches the air compartment beside the fire plate, this compartment already being heated by the fire plate, the water is turned into steam or vapor before it enters the Generator and reaches the fire.

THE CLEANING SYSTEM

The Cleaning and Filtering of the Gas is done in five stages:----

The Primary Cleaner, a cylinder fitted to the Generator opposite the water tank.
& 3. The Oil Cleaner and the Sisal Cleaner are contained in another cylinder, placed in front of the vehicle or grouped with the Generator.
& 5. The Woodwool Cleaner and the Final Felt Cleaner are contained in another cylinder also fitted to the front of the vehicle or grouped with the Generator. These Cleaners from a pair and

page 5

the gas, thus dispensing with the necessity of any other cooling system. These are described below:----

NO. 1 PRIMARY CLEANER

A round cylinder fitted to the Generator on the opposite side from the water tank. This Cleaner, which is a “Pederick” patent, is remarkable efficent and traps between 80% and 90% of the dust content of the gas. The gas is drawn from the Generator through a short pipe and entering the side of the Cleaner takes a centrifugal and downward course; then about one-third way down the Cleaner the gas is deflected upwards again and out through the top. whilst the dust goes to the bottom and settles there. The dust is removed by unscrewing the cap at the bottom. This Cleaner should be cleaned out every day or at least every 100 miles.

NO. 2 and 3 OIL and SISAL CLEANERS

Situated in front of the car. This Cleaner should be kept filled to the level of the drain tap fitted on the side about 6 inches from the bottom, with a cheap, thin oil (sump oil will do, provided it is strained and clean). The gas enters at this level and impinges on the oil which arrest nearly all the dust or lampblack which has passed the Primary Cleaner and settles it to the bottom of the oil. Above the oil bath is a

page 6

baffle to keep the oil down, but the gas is allowed to pass upwards through a specially formed opening about 2 ½ inches in diameter in the baffle; a wire gauze disc placed on this baffle supports a Sisal pack. Any oil which passes upwards with the gas meets the Sisal pack and falls back into the Oil Bath, washing back with it any oil-saturated dust that may have reached this point. The Sisal must not reach the top of this Cleaner----a wire cage holds it down----as space above it is required to allow the gas to bank up. The gas then passes to the next Cleaner. Do not pack Sisal too tightly. 500-mile service instructions under main maintenance.

No. 4 and 5 WOODWOOL and FINAL FELT CLEANERS

Situated in front of the car, this cylinder is packed with Sisal and Woodwool up to the level of a felt disc held in place by strong clips which engage with indentationson the side of the Cleaner approximately 15 inches from the top. A wire gauze disc rest on the bottom of the Cleaner and forms a space in which water may accumulate. A self-draining elbow, which should be cleaned when the unit is serviced, is screwed into the bottom.

The final Felt Security Felt is mounted on a galvanised wire cage which in turn is held by three screws on to a ring welded approximately 4 inches from the top of the Cleaner.

page 7

No. 4 and 5 WOODWOOL and FINAL FELT CLEANERS

The final Felt Security Felt is mounted on a galvanised wire cage which in turn is held by three screws on to a ring welded approximately 4 inches from the top of the Cleaner.

page 8

which may be connected with the existing air cleaner. A throttle is incorporated in the Change-Over Valve, and is controlled by a second accelerator pedal placed beside the petrol accelerator pedal to control the speed and power of the engine in the ordinary way.

STARTING

Petrol is required to start, and the better the engine is tuned to run on petrol the better it will run on gas.

TO START

See the Generator is full----or has plenty of Charcoal. See the Generator lid is closed tightly. When closing the lid see that no particles of Charcoal are on the surface of the lid joint, which would prevent the lid closing properly. This would cause leaks and loss of power
Start the motor and let it idle.
Pull out Gas Valve about one inch. This will cause the engine to draw air into the Generator through the two pipes leading into the air compartment beside the fire plate, through the fire plate orifice and right through the Generator and all the filtering system and into the engine.
Remove plug from fire plate orifice
A lighting taper is part of the cap of a small tank containing lighting fluid attached to the

page 9

unit. Keep tank filled with a mixture of petrol and kerosene or methylated spirits.

Light the taper and hold it to the fire plate orifice---and the suction of the engine will draw the flame into the Generator and set the Char coal alight; this you will be able to see by looking into the orifice. When the Charcoal is alight replace the plug and drive away on petrol. (if you wish you can run the engine wile the vehicle is stationary, and in about one minute the burning Charcoal will be making gas. It is better, however, to drive away on petrol, as idling of a motor when cold is never a good practice.)

After driving a short distance pull Gas Valve right out. As speed is gained, partialy open the gas throttle, by pressing gas accelerator pedal simultaneously with the petrol accelerator; after about a mile gas should come through, and power csn then be maintained by using gas accelerator pedal only in place of petrol accelerator.

Always remember to admit air by pulling out air control slightly as soon as gas comes through, as gas alone will not give any power. When the Producer has warmed up and the gas is coming through in proper volume, the best setting for the air valve will soon be found, and very little adjustment will be required from then on because of the automatic idling control fitted to the air valve. The petrol throttle hand control should be

page 10

adjusted to enable the driver to keep his engine idling in traffic or to shut off completely when on long runs; by this means very little petrol is used and a great convenience is experienced by having petrol power always instantly available. If a petrol tap is fitted by an owner he must remember to always turn on the petrol before stopping the engine to ensure easy restarting. Petrol can be used on a hill, or anywhere, at will, and if used only for city traffic and boosting speed on a hill, very little is required. As producer gas is a slower burning fuel than petrol it will take a much earlier spark. A spark control may be fitted to the dash and used when speed is required. (This is not part of the standard equipment; it is not absolutely essential, but will considerably improve the performance if properly used.)

RUNNING

After the engine has warmed up and is running on gas, water is turned on to drip slowly (about 50 drops per minute). Where vehicles are equipped with automatic water control, very little adjustment is necessary, but it is essential that it be checked to see that the proper drip rate is maintained, for, if no water is used and high speed is maintained for long periods , serious damage to the producer may result. When a “Pederick” Gas Producer is installed it is advisable to take careful

page 11

speedo readings to find out just how far it will run before refuelling. Remember, the Generator should not be burnt lower than half way before refuelling. Check every 50 miles, otherwise power will fall off and overheating take place. The heating takes place because the fire spreads
when the charcoal is too low in the Generator . The amount used will be found to alter under varying conditions, but it is better to be on the safe side, and keep the Generator as full as possible. Trucks do about one mile to one pound of charcoal; cars about one and a half miles to the pound. The standard Generator holds about 70 lbs., and the larger ones about 100 lbs. When stopping to replenish the Generator, or at any time for that matter, let engine idle for a minute, or slow down for awhile before stopping. This eases the fire down, and prevents a large accumulation of gas being generated and wasted, also unburnt gas may find its way out through the air intake and ignite when it comes in contact with the air. If the gas does light up at the air intake pipes, which are protected by flame traps, it can be extinguished by starting the engine, or by opening the Generator lid.

FILLING THE GENERATOR WITH CHARCOAL

Open top lid of Generator and stand clear, as ignition will occur when the unburnt gas in the Generator comes in contact with the air. If this ignition does not occur,

page 12

Throw a lighted match into the open Generator, otherwise ignition may take place unexpectedly. It is then safe to fill with charcoal. After filling, clamp down the lid. It will be found necessary to drive for a hundred yards or so on petrol to again draw the gas through. Normally the fire will remain alight for several hours; experience will teach when it is necessary to relight. After short stoppages (say 5 to 10 minutes duration) the engine should restart on gas, although many prefer to always start off on petrol. It is not harmful to allow the engine to idle on gas for short stops. Expert operators always stop to refuel on the down slope of a hill so as to start without using petrol.

Every 100 miles clean primary. Check water drip feed. Check oil level.

MAINTENANCE

The owner will realise on taking delivery of a “Pederick” Gas Producer that, as all “Pedericks” are built to a standard, he has a similar unit to those which are being used successfully by large numbers of other operators, and the degree of success he derives from it will depend almost entirely on how it is maintained. Maintenance is chiefly confined to keeping the Generator and Filters clean, and to do this the following procedure is is recommended:----

page 13

GENERATOR

Empty the Generator completely every 500 miles by dropping bottom lid to remove ash and clinker. Replace lid and screw up securely so that no leaks are possible. Be careful not to damage gasket.
Place a couple of inches of fine ash in bottom of Generator and then refill with fresh Charcoal.

WATER TANK

See that water tank is kept filled. The tank holds two gallons, enough for about 500 miles. It is advisable each 500 miles to disconnect outlet pipe and tap and clean out thoroughly.

No. 1 PRIMARY CLEANER

Remove bottom cap of Cleaner every day, or at least every 100 miles, and clean out the accumulation of Charcoal dust, also knock the sides of the Cleaner to see that all the dust comes away. Should wet Charcoal be encountered, part of this Cleaner may become blocked through the dust being wet and not passing through freely. Provision is made for cleaning and inspection by removing plate near the top, and this should be done every 500 miles. When replacing plate be sure that the gasket is not left off or there is any chance of air leaks.

page 14

No. 2 and 3 OIL and SISAL CLEANERS

Situated at front of the car. The lid comes off the top and there is an opening on the side of this Cleaner at the bottom for cleaning purposes. Remove the lid, take out Sisal, take off plate from bottom opening and let oil run out, then scrape out any accumulation of sludge wich has been formed by the Charcoal dust arrested by the oil. On the gas pipe, just above where it enters this Cleaner, there is a removable plug. Remove this, and scrape out gas pipe upwards and downwards, as Charcoal dust coming into contact with the oil will become coated on the gas pipe. If the Sisal is very black, replace with fresh Sisal. There is a tap on the side of this Cleaner. Refill with fresh oil to the level of this tap, pouring the oil down through the Sisal if new Sisal has been used, so as to saturate it with oil. When closing, see that the lid of Cleaner is gas-proof, as leaks at any of these joints will, of course, prevent the engine from drawing all the gas through, and there would either be loss of power, or if leaks were too great, there would be no power. Complete service as above should be done every 500 miles, but the oil level should be checked more frequently and kept consistently correct. Service stations will do this work for a nominal sum in the same way as you have your car greased regularly.

page 15

No. 4 and 5 WOODWOOL and FINAL FELT CLEANERS

Situated at the front. The lid of this Cleaner is removable. Take out the Security Felt Filter and Cage, which comes out easily through the top by unscrewing three screws. Remove the felt, wash to remove the accumulation of dust and replace after drying, or install a clean spare. (A new felt can be kept on hand and used, and the one removed can be washed and ready to replace next time the cleaning is done. This will save time) Before replacing cage and security felt, renew the Sisal and Woodwool in the lower half of the cleaners and the felt disc under the retaining clips. A supply of Sisal and Woodwool should be on hand and one or two spare felt discs.

Be sure and drain away any water that has accumulated in the bottom of this Cleaner. Remove and blow out self-draining plug.

This operation should be done at 500 miles.

All these cleaning operations can be done by the handy man, but service stations are now equipped to do this work quickly for a nominal charge.

page 16

GENERAL HINTS CHARCOAL

It is essential that screened Charcoal is used; a careful operator sieves each bag before using, as the handling and friction of Charcoal in transit causes it to disintegrate and become dusty again, and if used without sieving, means more frequent cleaning of the filters.

Size of charcoal is important, and no pieces should be larger than will pass through 1-inch mesh. Hardwood, particularly Red Gum timber, gives the most power and the longest range per bag.

It should be well burnt otherwise it may contain tar, which is difficult to remove, and causes sticking valves. The Charcoal should also be dry. If it is wet, the moisture in it will be converted into steam in the Generator and pass to the Filters, interfering first with the Primary Cleaner by making the dust wet, then by condensing in the oil cleaner and overfilling it, then getting into the Wood-Wool and preventing it acting as a cleaner and drier, and finally saturating the final felt cleaner and preventing the gas from passing through the felt.

If this happens, clean everything out properly and refill with fresh Charcoal.

page 17

OVERHEATING

Causes:----

Charcoal too low in Generator.
Not enough being used.
Charcoal too big, allowing fire to spread.
Improper air mixture.
Clinker formed in Generator.
Generator lid gaskets leaking.

IGNITION

The ignition system of the engine is of major importance when using producer gas. Troubles, such as loss of power, difficult starting, inability to use proper amount of water, etc., have been traced to week ignition. if these symptoms occur, have spark plugs tested, set spark plug gaps at about 15 thousandths, advance octane selector to full advance.

BACKFIREING IN ENGINE

If popping occurs in engine the cause is most likely to be, either too much water from tank, wet Charcoal, or a hot spot. Reduce water supply, and retard spark.

page 18

FIRE SLOW TO LIGHT

This is due to no draught, or not strong enough draught.

Causes:----

Gas throttle not sufficiently open.
Clinker or ash in Generator preventing draught from getting through. To remedy----open lid at bottom of Generator, remove clinker and dust, replace with fresh Charcoal.
Bad leak somewhere----possible Generator lid not shut properly.
Sometimes when refilling Generator with Charcoal a cavity may have formed near lighting orifice so that taper dose not contact with the Charcoal. Remedy----poke Charcoal down with iron spike.

LOSS OF POWER

If you find air valve must be closed more than usual, and power is falling off, the cause will most likely be dirty Security Filter or Charcoal getting low. If not then look for air leaks around lids and rubber joints in gas pipe, or a blockage of the gas pipe where it enters the oil cleaner. Oil level may be too high.

page 19

COMPLETE STOPPAGE

If not caused by reasons mentioned in preceding paragraph, it is most likely due to blocked Primary Cleaner. Take off inspection plate located near top of Cleaner and see that opening around baffle is free from any blockage.

ENGINE NOT USING NORMAL QUANTITY OF OIL

As Charcoal, unlike petrol, is a dry gas, it may be found that the engine uses less than the normal quantity of oil; in such cases it is advisable to use a lighter grade of oil. New engines or rebored engines should have an upper cylinder lubricator fitted for the first 2,000 miles.

REMEMBER

50 miles----Check Charcoal.

100 miles----Clean primary;

Check water feed;
Check oil level.

500 miles----Service unit completely.

When unit is being serviced, insist on these points being attended to:

page 20

----Inspection and cleaning of primary.
----Emptying and refilling of generator.
----Cleaning and renewing oil in oil cleaner.
----Cleaning gas pipe at entry to oil cleaner.
----Cleaning out woodwool cleaner; replacing woodwool and felts.
----Testing general running of car by a short run on PETROL with gas valve closed. A car must run well on petrol to run well on producer gas.