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cedarchopper
10th June 2010, 02:38 PM
http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2010/01/wood-gas-cars.html

Defender
10th June 2010, 03:46 PM
Or, there's always one of these:
http://www.jabulela.com/files/images/steam-car.jpg

the biss
10th June 2010, 04:50 PM
Mother Earth News made big in-roads into this application in the 1970s.

I've been researching this further, especially now that Big Oil (TM) has become Public Enemy No.1. I have an old 1995 Buick Century that I'm going to start converting to wood gassification.

steyr_m
11th June 2010, 07:39 AM
http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2010/01/wood-gas-cars.html


Ironic, I was going to query this forum about something related to this subject. I was reading through a couple pdf's on this subject for making a vehicle for SHTF transportation.

I was looking at some of the pictures in the pdf's and what you see in the link, and there's these big pipes and barrels. It doesn't look good and it will draw attention to yourself. It will be fine for a static (non-mobile) electrical generation system, which I also plan to build.

So, finally my question....

Instead of what I described, is there a way anyone knows to compress the gas and store it in a propane tank? That way you can have a vehicle set up similar to running propane, but running on wood gas instead.

The obvious concerns are the danger of compressing a flammable gas and it possibly going *boom* and allowing impure gases like O2.

Ironfield
16th June 2010, 03:07 AM
Whilst an interesting idea and a proven technology. In a SHTF scenario deforestation of local shrubbery and trees over x number of months/years would be kind of a give away. Use in farm machinery might have some merit, but then we have the issue of gearing and ratios to get the tractor to move, if at all.

Not to poo poo the whole idea but maybe going with a diesel engine and use bio fuels, cooking oil etc. or LPG CNG kit but then issues of supplies.

Cedarchopper regarding your idea.

you might need a centrifugal compressor. They are used in and petrochemical plants and natural gas processing plants. It uses a rotating disk or impeller in a shaped housing to force the gas to the rim of the impeller, increasing the velocity of the gas. A diffuser (divergent duct) section converts the velocity energy to pressure energy.
How it all works or whether viable I am not certain.

-Ironfield

StackerKen
16th June 2010, 09:51 AM
If lots of folks started using wood to run their cars....we would run out of trees

wallew
28th June 2010, 01:42 PM
Go watch 'The Colony'...

Discovery channel where they had these folks live as if SHTF...


THEY USED GASIFICATION to run their generator and to recharge the batteries and allowed them to run all sorts of electrical devices.

Apparently during WWII, in Germany because of their lack of access to oil products LOTS of Germans used gasification to still be able to use their vehicles.

steyr_m
29th June 2010, 10:38 AM
Go watch 'The Colony'...

Discovery channel where they had these folks live as if SHTF...


THEY USED GASIFICATION to run their generator and to recharge the batteries and allowed them to run all sorts of electrical devices.

Apparently during WWII, in Germany because of their lack of access to oil products LOTS of Germans used gasification to still be able to use their vehicles.


Yeah, that's what I want to do. I was also looking to store the gas in propane bottles, so if tSHTF I don't have to start lighting fires. I'd like to have a 2-3 month supply ready to go. I thought I'd have more interest in this....Guess I'll keep looking.

I'm not concerned with deforestation......