[Gasification] Gasification (combustion?) > steam?

[Trevor Richards]

Sam - not sure where this has gone. Pursuit Dynamics seem to be on a new
path. Maybe Dr Burns is still working on it.
http://www.gizmag.com/go/1734/

Message: 1
> Date: Wed, 18 May 2011 21:03:36 +0100
> From: sam at bristolwireless.net
> To: gasification at lists.bioenergylists.org
> Subject: [Gasification] Underwater gasification?
> Message-ID:
>        <20110518210336.Horde.pzohfmOelG9N1CYYEoHR4lA at slackmail.co.uk>
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>
> Hi all
>
> I wish to move a 22ft 1 tonne boat using wood power.
>
> I have already considered gasification + combustion, gasification +
> stirling engines, even steam power!
>
> My latest thought experiment is gasification + thermo-electric generators.
>
> looking at the products of tegpower.com it seems like this may be
> viable, if somewhat expensive (?4k)
>
> To move the boat at around three knots will take an estimated 40 -50
> amps http://www.floveroutboard.co.uk/outboards.html
>
> Which will require approximately 50 of the TEGP15 thermo electric
> panels http://www.tegpower.com/products.html. I then need to keep one
> side of the panel at 20C (or lower) and the other at 260C. (but no
> higher than 325C)
>
> Initially I considered doing this with an active water pump driven
> cooling system, which would be fine, however if the pump/wiring fails
> or gets blocked the considerable investment in TEG panels melts before
> your eyes.
>
> So I figured given all the water around the boat it might be better to
> run a passive cooling system, and actively pump the air for the
> gasifier. That way if something breaks it just cools down and stops
> working.
>
> Which leads me to the challenge of gasification underwater..
>
> I have taken as a benchmark the mega fireplace gasifer
> http://www.woodgas-stove.com/how_to_use_woodgas_stoves.php which puts
> out 55,000 btu/hr which on paper is enough power.
>
> So I am thinking about taking take a 14inch x 6ft diameter steel pipe
> with a sealed end and sticking a woodgas fireplace in it. Then feeding
> a air supply pipe down to the bottom, and using a fan to force the air
> in.
>
> The TEG units will be attached to the inside of the pipe with some
> kind of heat conducting cement. The water temperature outside the pipe
> (typically 5C - 15C) will provide the passive cooling, and the heat
> rising up from the stove will heat the inner panel (maybe!)
>
> I did a bad diagram here: http://i.imgur.com/SYpu2.jpg
>
> I realise the engineering challenges of this are not trivial..
>
> * Are forced updraft gasifiers harder to make/ less efficient on this
> scale?
>
> * What would be a good guesstimate for the temperature at the bottom
> TEG? The top TEG? Above 325C?
>
> The next step is to buy a the pipe and woodgas fireplace and do some
> real world tests. Is it worth me taking that next step? Do you see
> insurmountable problems?
>
> Thanks
>
> Sam
>
>
>
>
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