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The One Stop Shop On Gasification
Yes… I can smell the wood and charcoal burning!
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In the 1800s, the gasification process was first developed as a means of producing town gas for lighting and cooking. This method of energy production remained popular until the introduction of electricity and natural gas. However, since the 1920s, this same process has been employed to generate synthetic chemicals and fuels. Its utility in this capacity has allowed it to remain a viable method of energy production despite the advent of more modern solutions. Today, gasification is used to produce synthetic fuels such as biogas, syngas and hydrogen while also providing an alternative means of disposing waste materials.
The Rise of Gasifiers
Bischof built the first wood gasifier in 1839, and Thomas Parker built the first vehicle powered by wood gas in 1901. However, they came into their own during WWII due to fuel shortages in Europe and the United States of America. It is said that there were over a million vehicles in the USA running on wood at this time.
During World War II, Australians retrofitted an estimated 72,000 vehicles with gasifiers to compensate for the lack of petrol due to rationing. To support this, charcoal production skyrocketed, reaching a staggering 20,000 tons monthly. The article in Power Farming in Australia highlighted this remarkable retrofitting project, which was extremely successful.
Ford in Australia worked with others to develop the Powell Gas Producer. There were many other manufacturers of gas producers like Electrolux, Rondalson Tippett, Kent, Wishart, and even trailer mounted units
There is a remarkable resurgence and interest in wood gasifiers for fuel, heating and generating electricity. This website houses a great deal of information on this fascinating technology which you can download as PDFs. You can see some more pictures submitted by our Members here. Remember to download the free FEMA Gasifier Plans.
You might also enjoy our other sister site Build-A-Biogas-Plant.com and I trust you enjoy both sites.
Steve Ewings