Scrubbing gasifier gasses

[user 6208]

I like the gasifier method of powering a generator as I have the resources available for this.

However, I've not seen anyone anywhere with a decent setup for cleaning the tar and particulates very well (before they enter the generator). My concern here is that generators will need frequent tear-downs to clean these messy deposits.

Further, I've not seen anyone using gas filters such as nitrogen separators. I managed to find large units, but nothing small enough to be practical. Eliminating the nitrogen content would greatly increase the power density of the wood gas.

Does anyone have any data for either of these issues?

I looked into units found in tire stores which capture nitrogen for tire inflation, but haven't found the filters available separately.

 

[MNwr786]

Isn't the common method a vortex centrifugal type thing? As for nitrogen, that's 70% of air, tough to avoid that.

I would avoid using gasifiers all together for reasons other than ash and tar. A gasifier works by incompletely burning a fuel in an oxygen-deficient enviroment to produce carbon monoxide - a flammable gas (there are ideal temps and flow rates that really make a difference here) but a side product of that is the destructive distillation of the wood chips. The destructive distillation of wood was the primary source of methanol and acetone for a while, and it also produces a ton of vinegar. two of those three are extremely corrosive to engines that have aluminum parts (like the cylinder head). Gasification is a neat trick, and it does work good, but it's hard on any engine (and your hemoglobin).

 

[erqueen75]

Gasification is a neat trick, and it does work good, but it's hard on any engine (and your hemoglobin).

Yes!

 

[user 6208]

Well, hopefully, you're burning the carbon monoxide and not exhausting it.