Gasifier Experimenters Kit

Untitled DocumentHomeProject DescriptionOverviewTechnologyPhysical SpecificsDrawingsPeopleWorkshopsPhilosophyMotivationMechabolic HypothesisLogisticsBudgetSafetyTimelineClean UpContactThe Mechabolic: Technology of GasificationGasification is the general term used for processes where heat is applied to transform solidbiomass into a "natural gas like" gaseous fuel. Through gasification, we can take nearly any solidbiomass waste and convert it into a clean burning, carbon neutral, flammable fuel. Whetherstarting with wood scraps or coffee grounds, municipal trash or junk tires, pistachio nut shells oravocado pits, the end product is a flexible gaseous fuel you can burn in your gasoline engine,cooking stove, heating furnace and/or flamethrower. Apply a little additional effort throughliquefaction technologies like Fischer-Trospch or other catalyst based processes, and methanol,ethelyene, and diesel are possible too a modest complexity.Sound impossible?Well, over 1,000,000 vehicles in Europe ran onboard gasifiers during WWII to make fuel fromwood, as gasoline and diesel were rationed and/or unavailable. Long before there was biodieseland SVO, we actually succeeded in a large-scale, alternative fuels redeployment. Thatredeployment was made possible by the gasification of waste biomass, using simple gasifiersabout as complex as a traditional wood stove. Gasifiers are easily reproduced (and improved)today by DIY enthusiasts, using simple hammer and wrench technology. (see www.woodgas.comand http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasification for more background info).The Mechabolic project intends to reintroduce this technology for contemporary DIY enthusiasts,with improvements in design following from the many sensing and embedded control potentialsthat were not available during the previous "woodgas" deployment. We intend for this "artisticdeployment" to seque into a growing collection of usable wood gas converted cars and othermachines for off playa purposes. In fact, we are currently in the process of converting Ritual Caféon Valencia street to run entirely on its own coffee grounds waste. Coffee in: electricity, heat andgaseous fuel out. (our current DIY gasification efforts are here and herehttp://whatiamupto.com/mechabolic/technology.html (1 of 3) [10/9/2008 08:18:03]