Wood gas as engine fuel

The document "Wood gas as engine fuel" is a must read for anyone wishing to build a wood gasifier. It concentrates on downdraught gasification, which is best type of gasifier for fuel grade wood gas.

The document by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) covers all aspects of building gasifiers for fuelling engines. The document can be found on the FAO website at http://www.fao.org/docrep/t0512e/t0512e00.htm.

A PDF document can also be found at ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/t0512e/t0512e00.pdf

The Complete MIDGE

The Complete MIDGE is a PDF document detailing how to build a wood gas stove. All you need to make a MIDGE stove are waste cans, some tin snips, a drill with high speed drill bits. There is plenty of scope for experimentation and you are encouraged to do so.

The Complete MIDGE - PDF document

Retort gasification

Can you see the problem with this form of gasification?



This form of gasification uses a retort, which is a closed container with a vent and external source of heat. And yes, the gas hob, the retort is sitting upon, is putting as much energy in (if not more) than is being produced in the form of wood gas.

A retort is an interesting way to get into gasification and doesn't require much work to get you started. However, the gas produced will have a lot of tar in it and will be of no use for running engines with. It would be a waste of time and effort scrubbing the gas because of the amount of tar in it.

A MIDGE stove on the other hand consumes most of its own tar. Better still, a downdraught gasifier heats the wood above it so that tars drip down into the combustion area and are converted to wood gas.

We recommend that you build a MIDGE stove first and then move on to a downdraught gasifier. A retort is only suitable for making charcoal and is best fired with a renewable energy source such as a wood fire.

Wood gas stove in operation

A video made earlier in the year. It shows the constituent parts, fuelling and operation of the stove.