Charcoal Gasifier

Basics

• There are some advantages with using charcoal (rather than wood) for gasification (section taken from: Troy Martz Gasifier). These may include:
  • Sufficiently drying wood/biomass to an appropriate water content % takes days. Charcoal can be made and used in mere hours.
  • The byproduct of charcoal sizing (anything under 1/16th of an inch) just happens to be perfectly sized for biochar...what a great byproduct to have
  • We don’t have to worry about tar! Thus, filtration in the down line is relegated to ash and dust…easily done.
  • Pure carbon is a perfect catalyst for the reduction process… You never really get 100% there with biomass.
  • We eliminated “pyrolysis” from the problem we’re trying to solve, so the gasifier design becomes infinitely more flexible than the “Imbert” design
  • We can scale gas production with the same system by merely swapping out a single nozzle size – we can go from 2kW to 50kW with the same machine!
  • Yes, charcoal has less BTU’s, but we can also utilize those BTU’s by capturing and using that heat with a smart charcoal retort design
  • Charcoal gasifiers have the potential to produce far more powerful gas flow than biomass gasifiers... Cracking steam is the key.

Troy Martz Gasifier - gasifies charcoal

Existing DIY/OS Designs

Greenhill Forge (YouTube Channel) 's Design

• A Video by the YouTube Channel "Greenhill Forge" Titled "Building a Simple Gasifier: FREE Engine Fuel from Charcoal" ( ~25 Minute Watch )
  • • Need to check with them if it's okay, but they have some GREAT infographics ~3:54
    • Also 0:55 Safety Note was Apt
      • "If you decide to experiment with gasification, please remember that it is LITERALLY a Carbon Monoxide making machine, and it can be extremely dangerous, so make sure you know what you are doing and do it safely
      • Uncertain on if SynGas has any Methane in it, but minor mistake / that may be an unintentional product infrequently mentioned in giant plant designs etc
      • I know Wood Gas / Pyrolysis Gas does tend to contain all sorts of gas species

Design Overview

• It is a Crossdraft Gasifier
• Made largely of welded together steel
• Uninsulated (Unlike the current OSE Design which uses a Fire Brick Hearth)
• It was made using a CNC Plasma Cutter , thus Files exist somewhere
• Intermittent Fillet Welds were used
• A Truncated U Shape is made over the Ash Grate to confine the reaction to a narrower space (presumably to follow the zone interacting with the air, almost the inverse of the "Dead Man" in Blast Furnaces )

Internal Links

• Gasifier 3D CAD (For OSE’s Latest Design)
• Compressed Fuel Gas
• Troy Martz Gasifier - gasifies charcoal
• Biomass to Fuel
• The Biochar Economy and Kon-Tiki Kiln

External Links

• "Small wood and charcoal gasifiers for operation of internal combustion engines"
• An Instructable by "fjrgjgr" Titled "Charcoal Powered Generator - Gasifier"
• A Permies . com Forum Post on Charcoal Gasification
• The Bioenergylists Page on Charcoal Gasifier Designs