Gasifier Project: Caution Men with Tools!

One of the fantastic spin off of our starting the Sustain Jefferson project is the ability to quickly network with other local Eco Freaks.  One net result is a group of us getting together to build 2 working gasifier prototypes-one to be mounted on a tractor for use and display at fair and markets, and with the learnings from that a larger one to be used to produce energy for a home.Gasification is a relatively well know alternative energy that takes virtually any carbon intensive  material (typically coal) and through a process of low oxygen burning produces "syngas" that can then be used to power a turbine or even an internal combustion engine.  Syngas is much, much, cleaner burning that petroleum or coal.  What we are most excited about is that you can also use plain old wood chips to produce Syngas and the gasifiers can be sized to fit even midsize (20 hp) tractors.  In fact virtaully every tractor in northern Europe ran on wood chip gasifiers during WWII.  But then we conveniently forgot the  technology as Cheap Oil took over.

The plans we are working off of and lot of history are available at GenGas.

Here are some of the shots from our 5 hour workshop fest.  Total out of pocket for the project will be under $100-though we had access to a complete machine shop at hanks house 

complete with bandsaws, welding torches, lathes, grinders several drill presses and about 400,000 drill bits.

Here is most of the group.  Left to Right: Mike, Hank, Dick, and Greg

I will get some more photos up soon!

-Rob

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