WOOD GASIFIER
A Step-By-Step Guide On How To Build Your Wood Gasification System
Robert Mask
Copyright 2021 - All rights reserved.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
D o you want to start making your wood gasifier to power your home? That is good. Take some of the power back from The Man.
I want it to be known first and foremost that this literature is for information and entertainment only. I cannot control any aspects that you control and, therefore, do not endorse anything you may build or construct. Wood gas is very dangerous, and one must take extreme caution when trying anything with it. Remember, I am not responsible for anything that happens as a result of this book, and it is completely the readers responsibility.
In the following pages, youll learn one element of self-sufficiency and do-it-yourself (DIY). Youll discover how to build a basic, cost-effective wood gasifier with a DIY-style construction for a moderate-sized family/home in a typical area. This book will show you simple components that you will need. I will briefly describe each one of those components, stating function, cost range, and some sources for acquiring the lowest costs. Finally, we will add up the prices and calculate how many years it will take to pay for itself vs. how much you would normally spend on utilities.
The concept of providing for ones self isnt new. Humans have always been self-sufficient, but not in todays hectic, day-to-day society where we find ourselves relying too much on others.
Chapter 1:
What Is a Wood Gasifier?
What Exactly Is a Wood Gasifier?
A wood gasifier (also called wood gas stove) is, technically speaking, a stove based upon pyrolitic decomposition of biomass substances in a low-oxygen environment into the flammable gases carbon monoxide, methane, oxygen, and hydrogen, and the flammable gases nitrogen and carbon dioxide. The byproducts of a completely 100% efficient device are water, carbon dioxide, heat, and pure mineral ash. It burns the gas produced by the pyrolysis of wood, not the wood directly.
The wood gasifier consists of two parts. An outer can be called the outer jacket, and a smaller inner can is the combustion chamber where the pyrolysis occurs. A hole is cut into the bottom of the inverted outer jacket, and the inner combustion chamber fits snugly through this hole, leaving 3/8 to inch of air gap between the two cans. The outer jacket sits on the ground, while the smaller combustion chamber should ride at least to inch above the ground.
What Are the Benefits of a Wood Gasifier
Wood Gasifier
- Maintenance: None
- Fuel: Biomass (wood, bark, woody plant stalks, pine cones, etc.)
- Size: Small to large and easily scalable to the desired size
- Weight: Lightweight even in larger sizes (no pack fuel weight)
- Cost of Stove: Inexpensive (new cans) or free (used cans)
- Cost of Fuel: Free
- Smoke (Yes/No): No
- Soot: Some
- Safety: Relatively safe
Alcohol Stove (Pepsi-can Type or Factory-Made)
- Maintenance: Pepsi-can (easily damaged), factory (none)
- Fuel: Ethyl (potable 100 proof), isopropyl (90%), or methyl (denatured) alcohol
- Size: Small
- Weight: Ultralight aluminum (Pepsi-can) or medium weight brass (factory-made) (liquid fuel is heavy)
- Cost of Stove: Free (Pepsi-can) or very expensive (factory-made)
- Cost of Fuel: Moderate
- Smoke (Yes/No): Yes (isopropyl), no (others)
- Soot: Yes (isopropyl), no (others)
- Safety: Dangerous (liquid fuel highly flammable and stoves easily tipped over and or crushed)
Pressurized White Gas Stove (Camp Fuel Type)
- Maintenance: High (seals and pump degrade quickly)
- Fuel: White gas camping fuel
- Size: Medium single burner to extremely large and bulky double burner
- Weight: Heavy
- Cost of Stove: Expensive
- Cost of Fuel: Expensive
- Smoke (Yes/No): No
- Soot: Not on properly functioning units
- Safety: Dangerous (known for leaks which cause and spread fires rapidly)
Gelled Alcohol Stove (Chafing Fuel Type)
- Maintenance: None
- Fuel: Gelled alcohol cans.
- Size: Small
- Weight: Medium
- Cost of Stove: Medium
- Cost of Fuel: Very expensive
- Smoke (Yes/No): Some
- Soot: Some
- Safety: Relatively safe
Hobo Stove or Rocket Stove
- Maintenance: None (hobo; extremely simple single can design), complex and difficult (rocket)
- Fuel: Wood
- Size: Small (hobo), large (rocket)
- Weight: Lightweight (hobo), very heavy (rocket)
- Cost of Stove: Both free
- Cost of Fuel: Free
- Smoke (Yes/No): Yes (hobo), no (rocket)
- Soot: Much (hobo), some (rocket)
- Safety: Relatively safe
Fuel Tab (Hexane) Stove
- Maintenance: None
- Fuel: Hexane fuel tabs
- Size: Small
- Weight: Light
- Cost of Stove: Moderate
- Cost of Fuel: Expensive
- Smoke (Yes/No): No
- Soot: No
- Safety: Relatively safe
Scores by Category
- Maintenance: Gasifier, hobo, factory alcohol, gelled alcohol, fuel tab
- Size: Pepsi-can
- Weight: Pepsi-can
- Cost of Stove: Gasifier, Pepsi-can, wood*
- Cost of Fuel: Gasifier, wood
- Smoke (Yes/No): Gasifier, white gas, propane, rocket, alcohol*, gelled alcohol, fuel tab
- Soot (With the Right Fuel): White gas, propane, alcohol, fuel tab
- Safety: Gasifier, gelled alcohol, wood, fuel tab
Note: Wood refers to both hobo and rocket, as in the final scores they are equal in this instance. Alcohol in the same manner refers to both Pepsi-can and factory type stoves.
Final Outcome
- Gasifier Stove:
- Alcohol: Pepsi-can 5, factory 3
- White Gas:
- Wood: Hobo 4, Rocket 4
- Gelled Alcohol:
- Fuel Tab:
In direct side-by-side comparison, the only tie for the wood gasifier is the Pepsi-can type alcohol stove for overall usefulness. However, the Pepsi-can type alcohol stove loses the most important category in my book (probably yours too) safety . No cooking stove is perfectly safe, but liquid fuel stoves and bottled gas stoves are by very nature quite hazardous.
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