Homemade Motor Fuel... From Firewood
(Page 2 of 5)
March/April 1981
Mother Earth News staff
Because the WoodPEC people feel that they've hit upon a truly unique arrangement, they're in the process of patenting their design ... so we've agreed not to reveal any "privileged" information at this time. We can, however, say that the 14-year-old Ford on which the gasifier's been installed doesn't run much differently from any conventionally powered vehicle with 200,000 miles on its "clock". The wellused pickup has been modified to operate on producer gas alone (with no dualfuel capability) and has been driven a total of 800 miles in that mode. Start-up time (that period between lighting the fire and actually driving away) is about ten minutes, and the rolling workhorse can attain speeds over the legal limit.
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Though "timber power" admittedly isn't as c onvenient as is gasoline, it's a whole lot less expensive, since even scrap wood can be burned ... and typical fuel economy figures work out to about one mile per pound. Additionally—because they've been able to achieve higher-than-normal temperatures within the "hearth" zone of their gasifier—the "WoodPECers" find that they're extracting as much energy as possible from their fuel ... while realizing the additional benefit of minimal ash accumulation in the firebox. (Morton Fry estimates that two or three bushels of wood chunks will yield less than one teacupful of fine, white flakes.)
Now, with their transportation experiment for the most part completed, the energy-conscious researchers are busy in. vestigating a new project: using producer gas to power a stationary generator which will, they hope, not only provide electricity for part of the firm's nursery complex during periods of peak demand, but—in addition—feed energy back into the grid during "slack" spells. Meanwhile, the folks here at y(our) favorite magazine are working along similar lines, and want to incorporate a few new twists besides ... so keep watching, over the next few months, for fresh developments!
SWEDEN, 1939-1945: ONE MAN'S EXPERIENCE
All too often humankind is, collectively, guilty of procrastination. Consider the fact that, until several years ago, few gave much thought to our dwindling fuel resources ... and that even today, with the handwriting clearly on the wall, precious little is being done to find solutions to the problem.
Well, Kurt Ek—the gentleman picturgid (with a canine companion) (it left—has already been through a similar energy crisis in his lifetime ... and he hopes people can be convinced to prepare alternatives before the situation is repeated. Kurt, you see, grew up in pre-World War II Sweden and knows from, firsthand experience the staggering effect which the sudden discontinuation of energy supplies can have upon a civilized society. Mr. Ek was kind enough to contact us and offer to share the fruits of his firsthand familiarity with the subject of wood gasification, and some of his experience-gained observations are printed here.
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