[Gasification] Two Engines One Gasifier

[Rex Zietsman]

Thanks Doug. I am using an Arduino microcontroller with servo motor to do
fine adjustment of the throttle. There is a speed pick up on the output
shaft. Simple, cost effective - about $40 all in.

As to flywheel, we already have that but I suspect we could make it heavier.

Have you any experience with having an intermediate gas storage tank to
provide gas when a >50% load is suddenly added to the system?

Kind regards
Rex 

Rex Zietsman
Principal Consultant

-----Original Message-----
From: Doug Williams [mailto:doug.williams.nz at gmail.com] 
Sent: 02 April 2015 09:08 AM
To: Rex Zietsman
Cc: 'Doug Williams'; 'Discussion of biomass pyrolysis and gasification';
linvent at aol.com
Subject: Re: [Gasification] Two Engines One Gasifier

On Thu, 2 Apr 2015 08:35:08 +0200
"Rex Zietsman" <rex at whitfieldfarm.co.za> wrote:


Hi Rex,
Comments in the text.

> Thanks Doug. I was imagining the challenge of trying to start the two 
> engines including the gas distribution but had not given the harmonics 
> a thought at all. Good point. Really where I am coming from is to have 
> a common generator. The challenge of getting two generators to run in 
> sync is fine on the MW level but a huge challenge down at small scale. 
> As it is, speed control is already somewhat of an art as the speed is 
> a function of load on the generator and a change in speed has an 
> effect on the load of the gasifier where the gas CV changes until the new
equilibrium is established.

Because you are making something different, away from the tried and true, I
suggest the first thing on the main shaft would be a heavy fabricated
flywheel to smooth load changes. then on the engines, either mechanical or
electronic governors. Unless they are running electronics, the slight
variations of frequency should not be any bother. I have used American
Pearce mechanical governors in the past and still have a couple of new ones
still in the workshop.

> Just not as simple as adjusting the throttle as one would with 
> petrol/diesel.

I agree, and the governor is important if generating power. There are two
choices, one for rough mechanical RPM and the other for rapid response power
generation.
> 
> The clutch you mention: I am assuming that you would put a stripped 
> down gearbox on the end of the motor and use a normal car clutch.

This is the most basic way and the clutch plates have a long life in that
role.


> If there is a
> simpler method, I would most welcome it. 

Well you might explore the availability of marine conversion clutch kits,
which used to be quite popular for DIY boat engines on the Internet

>We frequently want to be able to
> offer a system that can both drive a generator or a mechanical devices 
>such  as a maize mill. A belt drive clutch would allow us to choose run 
>the  generator all the time and to pull in the maize mill when 
>required. Do you  know of any system that has this?

I would guess that India/Thailand might be a good place to look as they use
a lot of belt driven machinery. We were never asked to supply anything with
these features, so have no drawings to copy.

 Possibly I could look at an electric
> clutch similar to that used with air conditioners. Any advice would be 
> appreciated.

Not sure about an electric clutch for power generation, but it depends on
how much H.P. it can take.

See what you can find and let me take a look for a second opinion.

Doug Williams,
Fluidyne.








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