you may want to look at a small steam/electric plant. wood fired 20hp or so.
http://www.webconx.com/steam.htm --- In biofuel@egroups.com, jerry dycus <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Hi Keith and All, > --- Keith Addison <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Hi Jerry and all > > > Methane is the most readily producible biofuel. > > >Digesters are a fair way but for volume on demand > > is > > >Destructive Distillation of wood without O2 is much > > >better. This puts out about 70% methane, 20% H2, > > >methyl gas, ect that can directly run gas engines > > and > > >burners. An engine made to run on this / natural > > gas > > >has eff equal to a diesel and little pollution. An > > eff > > >engine would have a 13 to 1 compression ratio and a > > >long stroke. > > > > This very interesting, but just let me say here that > > I think what is > > the most readily producible biofuel depends on your > > circumstances. > I agree, in my case I have biomass free. > > You can rig up an improvised biodiesel setup in the > > average kitchen, > > urban/suburban household with maybe a garage and a > > yard, and I doubt > > DD is either. > My goal is a home power plant where you put wood > in 1 end and electricity and heat come out the other > about the size of a washing machine. > > > > The easist liquid biofuel is methanol or wood > > >alcohol. This is made by taking the output of the > > DD > > >process and while keeping it at 700/1000 > > > deg F and run it thru a copper tube with copper > > chor > > >- girl for catalyst inside it. The output is mostly > > >methanol alcohol. While this was done to make fuel > > a > > >lot 1890 to 1938 this is the only technic to make > > it > > >I've found so far. I found it in Home Power #21 > > page > > >55 to 63. I joined this list hoping to learn more > > >about this. > > > > Nobody seems to have responded to you on this, > > unless off-list. > > Instead of learning, would you mind teaching? If you > > tell us more > > about it, maybe some listers will take you up on it > > and you'll have a > > cooperative effort. Can you describe the two > > processes (methane and > > methanol) in more detail? Any chance of scanning the > > Home Power > > article (it's not online)? > I've already told most of what I know. I have > great data for using coal to make DD gas . Both use > the same process to make charcoal , heating the wood > or coal to 1000 deg F drivivg off methane, H2, ect and > leaving carbon witch is hit with steam turning steam > into H2 and CO2 or use it to make steel, ect. Steel > plants have huge batteries of these for the carbon. > You can change the output gasses by changing the > temp, hotter like 1600F, more H2, less methane. > At about 1000F methane production peaks and close > to nat gas in composition. > From what I can tell, you put DD gas into contact > with copper scrubbies at 1000F for a while ( 20' x 1" > copper tube with a scrubbie pulled apart and pulled > thru and insulated) then cooled it's said is mostly > methanol. > From every ton of biomass you get about 700 lbs > of methanol plus burnable gasses. > All of this comes from reliable but not detailed > sources except coal data which I have great info on. > > > > I did find this, I don't know if you know of it: > > > > BIOMASS TO METHANOL SPECIALISTS' WORKSHOP: Ed. T. > > Reed and M. > > Graboski, 1982. Expert articles on conversion of > > biomass to methanol. > > ISBN 1-890607-10-X 331pp $30 > > http://www.woodgas.com/Books.htm > > BEF Press > > The Biomass Energy Foundation Press > > > > Biodiesel may prove to be a transitional fuel. Terry > > de Winne says: > > "The most practical and sustainable alternative > > transport fuel is > > straight vegetable oil... Biodiesel is the second > > most practical > > alternative fuel." I'm inclined to agree. Rudolf > > Diesel had it right > > in the first place. > If 5 to 10 hp diesels were cheaper I do this > starting on diesel or biodiesel. > The DD gas power system works by starting the > engine on stored gas from the last run. > Storage is in 2 large waterbeds stacked on top of > each other and a 1/2" sheet of ply to give it about > 1 lb pressure and 90 cubic feet. No pump is needed > because the sealed wood heating vessel makes pressure. > This feeds an ICE turning a genorator to charge > batteries. Heat from the exhaust heats the wood in the > DD gas still making more gas to run ad start next > time. > Extra gas can be used to make methanol or heat > and the engine heat and gas cooling heat to warm you > house. Little pollution and the ash makes a great > fertilizer. > Since I can't find a design for a small DD gas > maker I'm working on that now. I have some idea's on > how to do it , heat the wood, but havn't settled on > which one to use. > When it gets built I have to figure how to measure > gas levels to experiment to get the best yield. Lots > of work and it's second to getting my 3 wheeled EV > going. I started the male mold today for a hopefully > production version of it. > Home Power has CD's of the article and someone on > the list should have one. I could copy it and send it > to someone to put it on the net though. > Hope this helps, jerry dycus > > > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Yahoo! 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