The basic operation of two gasifiers is described in this and the following section. Their operating advantages and disadvantages will also be discussed. This information is included for the technically interested reader only; it is intended to give the reader more insight into the subtleties of the operating principles of the wood gas generator described in this manual.
Those readers who are anxious to begin construction of their own wood gas generator may skip the material below and proceed directly to Sect. 2 without any loss of continuity.
The constricted hearth, downdraft gasifier shown in Fig. 1-2 is sometimes called the “Imbert” gasifier after its inventor, Jacques Imbert; although, it has been commercially manufactured under various names. Such units were mass produced during World War II by many European automotive companies, including General Motors, Ford, and Mercedes-Benz.
These units cost about $1500 (1985 evaluation) each. However, after World War II began in 1939, it took six to eight months before factory-made gasifiers were generally available.
Thousands of Europeans were saved from certain starvation by home-built, simple gasifier units made from washing machine tubs, old water heaters, and metal gas or oxygen cylinders.
Surprisingly, the operation of these units was nearly as efficient as the factory-made units; however, the homemade units lasted for only about 20,000 miles with many repairs, while the factory-made units operated, with few repairs, up to 100,000 miles.
In Fig. 1-2, the upper cylindrical portion of the gasifier unit is simply a storage bin or hopper for wood chips or other biomass fuel. During operation, this chamber is filled every few hours as needed. The spring-loaded, airtight cover must be opened to refill the fuel hopper; it must remain closed and sealed during gasifier operation. The spring permits the cover to function as a safety valve because it will pop open in case of any excessive internal gas pressure.
About one-third of the way up from the bottom of the gasifier unit, there is a set of radially directed air nozzles; these allow air to be injected into the wood as it moves downward to be gasified. In a gas generator for vehicle use, the downstroke of the engine’s pistons creates the suction force which moves the air into and through the gasifier unit; during startup of the gasifier, a blower is used to create the proper airflow. The gas is introduced into the engine and consumed a few seconds after it is made. This gasification method is called “producer gas generation,” because no storage system is used; only that amount of gas demanded by the engine is produced. When the engine is shut off, the production of gas stops.
During normal operation, the incoming air burns and pyrolyzes some of the wood, most of the tars and oils, and some of the charcoal that fills the constricted area below the nozzles. Most of the fuel mass is converted to gas within this combustion zone. The Imbert gasifier is, in many ways, self-adjusting. If there is insufficient charcoal at the air nozzles, more wood is burned and pyrolyzed to make more charcoal. If too much charcoal forms, then the charcoal level rises above the nozzles, and the incoming air burns the charcoal.
Thus, the combustion zone is maintained very close to the nozzles.
Below this combustion zone, the resulting hot combustion gases-carbon dioxide (CO2) and water vapor (H20)-pass into the hot charcoal where they are chemically reduced to combustible fuel gases: carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H2). The hearth constriction causes all gases to pass through the reaction zone, thus giving maximum mixing and minimum heat loss. The highest temperatures are reached in this region.
Fine char and ash dust can eventually clog the charcoal bed and will reduce the gas flow unless the dust is removed. The charcoal is supported by a movable grate which can be shaken at intervals. Ash buildup below the grate can be removed during cleaning operations. Usually, wood contains less than 1% ash (by weight). However, as the charcoal is consumed, it eventually collapses to form a powdery charcoal/ash mixture which may represent 2 to 10% (by weight) of the total fuel mass.
The cooling unit required for the Imbert gasifier consists of a water-filled precipitating tank and an automotive radiator-type gas cooler. The precipitating tank removes all unacceptable tars and most of the fine ash from the gas flow, while the radiator further cools the gas. A second filter unit, containing a fine-mesh filtration material, is used to remove the last traces of any ash or dust that may have survived passage through the cooling unit. Once out of the filter unit, the wood gas is mixed with air in the vehicle’s carburetor and is then introduced directly into the engine’s intake manifold.
The World War II, Imbert gasifier requires wood with a low moisture content (less than 20% by weight) and a uniform, blocky fuel in order to allow easy gravity feed through the constricted hearth. Twigs, sticks, and bark shreds cannot be used. The constriction at the hearth and the protruding air nozzles present obstructions to the passage of the fuel and may create bridging and channeling followed by poor quality gas output, as unpyrolyzed fuel falls into the reaction zone. The vehicle units of the World War II era had ample vibration to jar the carefully sized wood blocks through the gasifier. In fact, an entire industry emerged for preparing wood for use in vehicles at that time (Reed and Jantzen 1979). However, the constricted hearth design seriously limits the range of wood fuel shapes that can be successfully gasified without expensive cubing or pelletizing pretreatment. It is this limitation that makes the Imbert gasifier less flexible for emergency use.
In summary, the World War II Imbert gasifier design has stood the test of time and has successfully been mass produced. It is relatively inexpensive, uses simple construction materials, is easy to fabricate, and can be operated by motorists with a minimum amount of training.
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