Wood Gas Truck Overview

[@hk93shooter]

in one of the handbooks on building a gasifier ,having preheated air piped into the combustion zone will greatly increase the efficiency. it does make the build a little more complex but the benefit is well worth it. being able to use wood/bio waste that is not dry and still getting a lot out of it. nice video. i hope people learn from this. i plan on using pallet wood mostly in mine. i have an endless supply from work.

[@HandsOnOffGrid]

I haven't seen the science on that, and it makes intuitive sense, but warmer air is less dense so there would need to be a greater volume of air moving through the combustion zone to provide equivalent oxygen. Since the air flow is controlled by the engine vacuum, it's unclear where the additional volume would come from. Perhaps simply a larger inlet orifice. Now if only there was a (cheap and practical) way to remove N from the air... :) Thanks for the post!

[@hk93shooter]

@@HandsOnOffGrid i believe it was a collage that did a study in a laboratory say the increase in air temp close to the exhaust temp would increase the output about 25percent and cleaner better burn. requiring less filtering.im trying to get all the info i can. next spring i will be building my first real gasifier. iv been playing with test models and gathering tanks and pipe.

[@stn7172]

​@@hk93shooter how did it go?

[@hk93shooter]

i built a j rocket with a insulated stack. and a bench about 6 ft long in the basement of our old house. it worked ok. had to use a fan to start the flow. basements are not the best ideal place. natural draft happens best on the first floor. but it worked pretty good. then we sold the house and had to move in one month. quickly move all the rock and brick . ai saved the stack though and will make another one someday.

[@redgreen5831]

Awesome video! I like the fact you showed the reactor in action. Thanks man, that was good to see it in action.

[@onewyatt1]

Cool post, thanks. I haven't posted in a while, health put a hold on my woodgas project. Doing better now and plan to resume and post updates soon. Thanks again for the motivation.

[@mrvv8337]

Now do a series on the complete build.

[@Geezweez788]

Your skill should be every man's duty.

[@13thbiosphere]

This type of Technology can be very handy in an apocalyptic scenario

[@HandsOnOffGrid]

Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that!

[@ctrey8395]

2021 is here 😭

[@ericscott5224]

​@@ctrey8395 two years later and two years closer to the breakdown.

[@thysonsacclaim]

Love that Willy's near you... always wanted one.

[@georgeland9862011]

So can you apply this to a duce&half old army truck??

[@niteflyer3380]

Paul Pantone... Super Genius... "R" (thank you) "Sir"

[@kr0my]

I know what you were saying about the front radiator, however I disagree. the tars will clog it quick. An improvement would be removable Stainless steel scrubbies inside the down pipes for the tar to collect on, like a restaurant hood air filter.

[@mateialexandrucoltoiu7207]

The wood chip filter should remove most of the tars, the gas should come out pretty clean.

[@mavrigs2964]

Down here in Africa, wher everything is pretty much Mad Max, this is very handy. Esp for off grid industry- farm, mining.

[@HandsOnOffGrid]

good luck with your projects!

[@craigroberts8596]

Great video! I am intrigued about the build of the gasifier on an OBD II vehicle. Just about every other post I've seen on gasifiers talks about doing the building on a carburetor based, OBD I vehicle. Can you point me to a web site or product description of the "tweaker" that you mention that allows this to work on fuel injected vehicles, as that is a real game changer to my way of thinking! I am going to build one of these for myself, and this really perked my ears up. Thanks in advance!

[@HandsOnOffGrid]

Thanks Craig, that system is so dated now... Best advice is to search the performance forums for the vehicle you're converting and find out about chip replacement and/or tweaking the existing chip via software.

[@craigroberts8596]

@@HandsOnOffGrid Thanks for replying! That's the dilemma I find myself in. I could buy any truck I wanted to, but don't want to buy more truck than I need. I originally was looking for a 1992 - 1996 Dakota due to other commentary I saw / read, but after seeing your video, it looks like I'm not hamstrung by the OBD I issue after all. That said, I suspect it is still a good idea to look for an overpowered smaller truck if I'm looking for something that would still perform well on the highway, as I'm not needing something that is a v10 working on a farm type of use. Would appreciate any direction you can give / suggestions you have, as I am definitely wanting to do this build, but hoping people like yourself can perhaps give me more up to date thinking on what I should be looking for vs. the input I"ve received so far. Would appreciate any help / advice you have to offer! Thanks, Craig

[@HandsOnOffGrid]

@@craigroberts8596 not convinced over powered would yield better performance, maybe but with the need for more gas throughput - just a design issue that can be resolved. Not sure I can be of much help on the chip tuning, i'd need to start over on this myself, but this is a good overview: offroadingpro.com/do-performance-chips-work/ This looks interesting, with an app www.autoanything.com/performance-chips/banks-pedal-monster

[@jimdandy7323]

...I saw this experiment in 1966...it's called the harmful distillation of wood...take a test tube, put in some popsicle sticks, close the tube with a one hole stopper and a 3" glass tube, light a burner and hold the tube over the flame, when yellow gas starts to come out of the tube light it and the flame will follow the gas...

[@suoppsdn9751]

There is a lot out there about gasifiers now. It's almost common knowledge now. You just have to find away that you are comfortable with. This setup looks like you have something you are comfortable with. Like you said before about one blowing up on somebody. I think maybe they were burning bigger pieces of wood which allows more air flow through the hopper to get more of a furious burn rate. Chips has less air flow I believe. I am not just guessing here I believe. I don't know through experience but I think a more intelligible opinion than guessing from what I have read, heard and witnessed through videos and write ups. Like you said you have seen when the hopper was almost out of chips it would start burping back fire. That's because as you said allows more airflow through the hopper which is what I think also, but bigger pieces of wood would allow that type of explosion also which also allows more smoke "Syngas" to build up in the hopper I believe. Chips and pellets are the safest way to go with this type of Gasifier because of that.

[@douglascolman4501]

Please explain the shutdown procedure for the gas supply. What happens when you drive say 5km to Walmart and go shopping for an hour. How do you turn it off.

[@HandsOnOffGrid]

Combustion air flow is driven by the vacuum of the engine. Stopping the engine stops the combustion.

[@anthonymosher4336]

@@HandsOnOffGrid In that scenario, would it be easier to restart while its still hot (after stopping for let's say 20 minutes) than it was to get it going from cold?

[@kieranh2005]

From what I have read on the wood gas forums, yes

[@oldfarmer9004]

How long do you have to crank the starter before it runs? I see jumper cables. Also acceleration? Do you have any problems taking off? In that 60 mile trip does the computer respond right away? Very interesting concept. What do you think wood pellets would be like?

[@HandsOnOffGrid]

Hi old farmer -All great questions! You'll find many answers in The Homeowner's Energy Handbook. Highly recommended! But you won't need jumper cables if your battery is good ;> www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008NF03OC/

[@anthonydavis1378]

Guy in video: I have a truck that doesn't need gas and runs on a small wood fire! Fbi: sir, we are going to need your location so we can, "see this truck run". Guy in video: *disappears*

[@MacMashPotato]

Your leaving out the start up and shut down precidure for this type of engine.

[@HandsOnOffGrid]

More details available in the book "The Homweowner's Energy Handbook" available everywhere

[@manhngo4275]

thank you so much, it's easy to understand. I intend to use wood gas to run an electric generator instead

[@mateialexandrucoltoiu7207]

Batter use the car engine as a generator, it is also easier to recover waste heat, it runs quiet and efficient.

[@drainkinginc2011]

You can cut you start up time to a matter of a few minutes by having an ignition port or lighting it from the top

[@cadespencer6320]

Have you thought of using charcoal in it?

[@captainvanaroo1729]

Will that think work using bituminous coal instead of wood chips.?

[@HandsOnOffGrid]

coal gas is pretty much the same as wood gas, but less moisture and less tar. it would probably work fine if you can figure out the combustion management

[@triot2127]

Some wood gas vehicles are still used in North Korea actually.

[@HandsOnOffGrid]

More details are available in the book "The Homeowner's Energy Handbook" available everywhere. www.amazon.com/Paul-Scheckel/e/B00B8YD7I4/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1

[@T4nkcommander]

Excellent, thanks!

[@LBCB94025]

👍🏻nice editing, he doesn't Quite explain it correctly but close enough to get the basic idea (*I get it*) lol good job on the overall engineering involved im impressed 👍🏻👌🏻💪🏻🤞🏻 Nice work! #homade

[@newageautotechnology]

Is your wood gasifier still running your truck?

[@HandsOnOffGrid]

That was an interview i did 10+ years ago with the truck's builder for the Homeowner's Energy Handbook. I've lost touch with John and doubt that truck is still active.

[@samlauer8855]

So how do you shut it down?

[@HandsOnOffGrid]

turning off the engine stops the flow of combustion air, fire dies.

[@samlauer8855]

@@HandsOnOffGrid thanks for responding so quick

[@hairycat6095]

had a barrel woodstove that did that a few times, pretty scarey. at the time i was wondering if wood could explode .

[@beybladesinmyheels1267]

Would this work on a hybrid vehicle like the ford maverick?

[@HandsOnOffGrid]

anywhere you use gasoline. though i wouldn't want to try to figure out any modern vehicle's fuel management system

[@lovelacetom007]

Is that will much easier, if you make a wood gas generator, then use electric motor drive car..

[@homemaintenance7312]

Yes it's good man

[@joshjewell1960]

What was the max speed on the truck after the conversion?

[@HandsOnOffGrid]

Josh - I can't say exactly, but probably not as fast as gasoline and it would take a little longer to get there.

[@ctrey8395]

@@HandsOnOffGrid damn baby 18 wheeler lol

[@adamlacienski9648]

where you located at? I'll pay you to help build a system like this for my truck

[@HandsOnOffGrid]

unfortunately not in the conversion business, but there are plenty of plans and kits out there! keep us posted if you do it!

[@bbruuse]

So can anyone answer this question? What do you do when you load everything up for a trip. Say you get 2-3 hrs run time. What do you do if your trip is interrupted, and you have to stop. Would smoke come pouring out everywhere? Do you put the fire out, and if so "HOW?"

[@HandsOnOffGrid]

Hey BBruise - the only way combustion happens is if air moves through the fuel. The only way air moves through the fuel is when the engine is running and pulling a vacuum, forcing air to move through the system. When the engine is off, no air flows and combustion stops, the coals die down. There's never any real flame in the gasifier, that the point, just make enough heat to drive off the gas, pipe it away, and burn it somewhere else. If your trip is interrupted long enough, the coals will grow cold and you'll need to re-light.

[@bbruuse]

@@HandsOnOffGrid - thankyou for the answer.. I guess if you wanted you could run a genny set, then switch back to the truck to drive again.. i was looking at a 78 ford 350 with a 390 dually.. to experiment with..

[@LoraGuzman-k8p]

Can I use a handheld bbq eating element to keep or start the fire

[@ClutchTFS]

The cat wants to know how woodgas works

[@walterkusaga4724]

Riley Hoddinott. Hahaaaaaa yeah thats why hear carefully

[@chriscandidi4912]

What book?

[@HandsOnOffGrid]

Homeowner's Energy Handbook www.amazon.com/dp/B008NF03OC

[@DocLulzson]

5:11 no not all engines 2 stroke diesels do not and use a blower.

[@codychickadee5095]

Gotta start somewhere I guess

[@mayurrailwayfan446]

Nice technology wood gas

[@richardrayner5952]

cool man , I bet that thing pulls the chicks , I gotta make one , I'm thinking the bigger the better hey throw whole logs in it, have you tried throwing a tyre in it see what sort of gas comes off it , I recon that would be a cool project a motorbike that runs on old tyres , and just tour aus

[@anthonypoole6901]

I need to locate a crap box truck 4x4 and do this with

[@АлексейЗ]

cool

[@danwat1234]

Electric conversion is best but that project is fun too

[@mateialexandrucoltoiu7207]

I actually plan charging my EV using such a setup.

[@danwat1234]

@@mateialexandrucoltoiu7207 how would you do that? You need wood to produce steam to spin a steam turbine to spin a generator. Good luck with that. Or, using a vehicle alternator used to power a 1500 watt inverter from the 12 volt battery would not be sufficient unless it was a very high output alternator. You'd gain about 4 miles of range an hour. Maybe if you convert a 240 volt generator to run off wood fumes...

[@mateialexandrucoltoiu7207]

@@danwat1234 By driving a 10kw generator using the engine.

[@internationalsupply9160]

Have you ever stuck up your engine?

[@HandsOnOffGrid]

if there's tar in the gas the engine will gum up. gas needs to be cooled to condense and drain moisture and tars.

[@tritowns]

Homeowner's Energy Handbook yup, I'm aware of that... have you ever stuck up an engine?

[@HandsOnOffGrid]

tritowns no. but this is not my project, the star of this show had some trouble early on and had to pull the heads and clean the valves

[@blainemitchell]

What is the story of the guy blowing himself up?

[@HandsOnOffGrid]

Blaine Mitchell sorry, John didn't go into detail there. Suffice to say "be careful out there!"

[@davidlango1850]

The Energy Guy this looks like a downdraft gasifier. The salad bowl with all the holes poked in it is straight out of the FEMA diagrams developed by that fellow in UC Davis

[@jayryan5269]

it would really be da shit if he put a electronic valve on to switch from gas to wood while in motion

[@davidlango1850]

Jay Ryan that's already been done by Wayne Keith, in Texas!

[@ilililhy1]

WOW keep going.

[@vkneee]

legal?

[@ctrey8395]

I'm pretty you're in business by now lol

[@brettduffy1992]

no fule tax

[@wesKEVQJ]

Too bad steam engines aren't more common. The tar would not be a big deal.

[@TomWayts-qv6wl]

P

[@chriscoralAloha]

Even he is not sure how it works.

[@jamesbarela7153]

I was so interested untill he said 20 pounds of wood chips equates to about 1 gallon of gasoline...

[@HandsOnOffGrid]

Yep, the energy density of fossil fuels is a huge benefit! Everything else requires planning and effort.

[@hk93shooter]

other post have said that one lb of wood/ bio fuel equals one mile with an efficient car and gasifier. larger trucks benefit from this because you can carry a lot more wood.

[@totallyfrozen]

Big, cumbersome, time consuming, dirty, inefficient. No thanks.

[@bytownucs273]

Ya, you're probably smart enough to engineer something better, less cumbersome, less time consuming, cleaner and more efficient. Right?? Or are you just too dumb to be able to build your own, so you feel the need to denounce something that is well beyond your grasp?

[@mrvv8337]

Until cheap energy at easy distribution of that energy doesn't exist. Yet in many parts of the US are lots of combustible materials like wood.

[@dieselgeezer18]

Some people like getting their hands dirty

[@kevinparker2409]

Describing your wife?

[@rodneyjohnson7958]

Not very efficient

[@SD-tj5dh]

Not efficient, but cost effective if your chosen jobber lifestyle produces a lot of gasification feedstock as a byproduct, such as woodworking and forest/land management. This will run in anything that burns, so dried up shit would even burn in there, cardboard, paper, dry food waste/crop husks, old hay, anything that burns will work in there. So it makes sense that if you can burn it to generate power, why wouldn't you? If you're making combustible waste every day then break it down and burn it. Free energy.