LP/NG engines are really no different than a petrol engine, just the delivery system is different. In fact, I believe the lift at work is dual fuel.

Admittedly, I haven't done a lot of research on wood gasification and it's use in engines, but doesn't oxygen need to be introduced before plumbing the wood gas directly to the manifold? If I'm correct, I'd make up a device that combines in oxygen much the same way a propane torch head does, then run it to the engine's intake manifold. For that matter, I think I'd leave the carb on the engine, and tie the throttle butterfly to a simple governor to better regulate my generator's RPMs. (some sort of wastegate would need to be employed for excess gas being supplied)

My last concern would be getting wood gas clean enough for use. Gunking up the engine with tar would really not be good.

Your right, 2 butterfly valves are used. One controls introduction of oxygen just before the wood gas goes into the engine. As for filtering they used a big can full of wood chips, but I was thinking about going to the junk yard and pulling the air cleaner housing from a car. As for why take off the carburator? I think it has to do with allowing the free flow of gas. Your input is encouraging. Thanks

Update: I found a generator with a gasoline engine the right size. It's a Gaurdian 17.5kw with a 992cc engine for $2,500. It has 120/240 and 12 volt DC. Can I plug the 12 volt DC outlet straight into a bank of batteries?
Udate #2: I put an ad on Craigslist for someone willing to take on this project. A guy 4 miles from my condo has the space and the equipment and will do it for beer. He likes to tinker. After I do the LHBA class on April 5th-6th we will get under way. Go to YOU TUBE and look up wood gas car, lots of cool videos.

Your questions in order
1) I don't know
2) Very little - very complete burn
3) Your right - after the battery powered blower (actually sucker) gets you producing "gas" the engine your running pulls the gas in (from way back were your wood burner is) and there are size specifications for the down tube (fire tube). A 30 HP/60 CI engine calls for a 6" diameter. "A fire tube with an inside diameter of less than 6" would create bridging problems with wood chips and blocks. If the engine is rated at or below 15 horsepower, use a 6" minimum fire tube diameter and create a throat restriction in the bottom of the tube corresponding to the diameter entered in the above table."
4) The F.E.M.A plans are the simplest I've found, plus they use a none air tight feeder. Meaning you don't have to open a port hole ( and get a face full of smoke and gas) in order to add wood. If it's not raining out you don't even need a cover, your engine is sucking air down through the wood to the burning area.

One thing I plan on doing different is the filter. Rather than trying to build an airtight can full of wood chips that have to be changed out, I'll go to pick a part and get an air filter housing out of an auto and change the filter when needed.

I don't know if it is worth it to anyone, and I have no idea about these people, let alone any vested interest in their business... but I ran across this add on seattle CL http://seattle.craigslist.org/oly/mat/810971562.html. They mention this sitehttp://victorygasworks.ning.com/

the site says it is 1/10 the cost of solar. May be. Solar ain't cheap.

Enjoy,

Peter

Follow the link and click on the video on the left.
He leaves out a lot on this link, but the new syn
gas generator (which makes the gas that runs the
Honda EU2000i) was the size of three barrels. Now
it's the size of a pop can and uses off-the-shelf parts.

http://www.ush2.com/gasification.htm

-Rick

Larry Gabie
Sparky,

Did you build a log house in Bend? We are planning on building about 100 miles east of Bend. Maybe will start this spring.

Yes, we stay in Bend once in awhile, and land prices are getting as bad as here in California (I guess many---if not most---of the residents came up from CA). We will be building in Wheeler County, about 100 miles east of Bend. We own our land, and we have plenty of Doug fir and Ponderosa Pine within a mile of our building site. Hope you are able to find some good property in Washington.

I took some old maytag parts from a washer and a gasifier kit to build one so glad i got it done before the winter, been saving quite a bit lately on heating the house up with the generator.

How do you heat the home with the generator?

You're kidding right? LOL

There's a new show on tv, "a survival show called COLONY, it comes on the Discovery channel" this week they built a woodgas generator using a pressure washer as the engine, and a car generator to produce an electrical current, that in turn feeds into their battery bank.

Very simple build, at first it didn't work, they wasn't getting the wood chips hot enough to produce gas. They made an adjustment and bam it worked. Very cool.

Commercially available unit: http://woodygasifier.com/

There is more than one way to skin the kitten, and the sizes range from 2 hp lawnmowers to really BIG stuff.

Look into the group at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WoodGas/

Their files include more than just the Imbert style, and generaters going back to the early 1800's. It is all about design and application to what you are doing, but it does work!

There are folks in this group that have recently done trips over 2000 miles, on pallet wood and worse, and are still running the same engines.

Great use of log home building scraps.......

Ralph Callaway
--The goal is: at the end of the trail, look the Man in the eye and ask for a repeat ride, without shame or excuses! (This ride has been good!)