[Gasification] Any experience with Stak Properties 10K gasifier?

[Bill Klein]

Hi, Kevin.

Your question of feedstock size is rather interesting and one to which I can 
easily relate. That said, I hope the following provides a little bit of 
insight and doesn't aggravate the experts on this list.

Before we ship our units, they undergo several tests.

Test 1 is a 24 hour non stop test in which we push all of the limits. Said 
differently, we look for the weaknesses, leaks, etc.
Test 2 is another 24 hour non stop test. It provides us with systems 
calibration.
Test 3 is a 100 hour non stop test. During this period, all of the necessary 
data points are established for our automation and management system.

Why am I describing an important phase of our unit fabrication, truncated as 
the description may be?

I wanted to point out the importance of properly sized feedstock for, if 
there is a screw up with gas flow or aglomeration, the test is stopped and 
rerun.

When we test, depending upon the customer's intended feedstock, we test and 
evaluate the gas from at least three feedstocks, one of which is a close 
approximation of that which the customer will use. Size of the feedstock is 
critical unless one really enjoys non stop runs, grumpy technicians and 
buckets of coffee.

Pellets: We won't use them. They are seldom uniform (cross sectionally) in 
moisture content and generally sealed. With heat, they shatter 
magnificently, leaving a pile of sawdust. The exception seems to be 
pelletized switchgrass: a great feedstock.

The chip size we like resembles an Oreo cookie, squared. As an approximation 
it works to gauge sizes. Overall length or width uniformity doesn't seem to 
be as critical as thickness. Still, there is a lot of flexibility and 
smaller sizes are okay to integrate, as an exception, not the rule. 
Gasifiers are not stoics. Built properly, they have some versatility, but 
you have to make friends with your unit before you learn her secrets. Then 
you merely have to respect them. .

Charcoal briquettes as a feedstock too often creates a huge problem as they 
plug the grate with compacted fines.

The best and my most favorite feedstock is still chunks. 2x4x4 - or 
briquettes of almost anything.

Kevin, I would have gladly answered earlier, but you posted hours after my 
bedtime. We old folks need our beauty sleep.


Respectfully,

Bill Klein
3i





----- Original Message ----- 
From: <kchisholm at ca.inter.net>
To: <gasification at lists.bioenergylists.org>
Sent: Tuesday, June 21, 2011 10:13 PM
Subject: Re: [Gasification] Any experience with Stak Properties 10K 
gasifier?


Dear Bill

Quoting Bill Klein <Bill_Klein at Powerhearth.com>:

> To underscore Greg's email, repeating what I was taught, "The
> quality of the gas is in direct proportion to the quality of the
> char." Larger feedstock makes great char!

# OK!! Do you think one can make "Engine Grade Gas" using:
1: Wood pellets, 1/4" diameter, 1/4" to 1/2" long?
2: Wood chips screened to -1/4", +1/8"?
3: Wood chips screened to -1/2",+ 1/4"?
4: Wood chips screened to -1", + 1/2"?

Thanks!

Kevin
>
>
> Respectfully,
>
> Bill Klein
> 3i
>
> http://www.3iAlternativePower.com
>
>
> -- Original Message -----
>   From: Greg Manning
>   To: Discussion of biomass pyrolysis and gasification
>   Sent: Tuesday, June 21, 2011 7:40 PM
>   Subject: Re: [Gasification] Any experience with Stak Properties
> 10K gasifier?
>
>
>   Pete, (and list)
>
>   What, and how big, are the fuel chunks ?
>
>   most gasifiers do NOT like wood chips, or really "fine" fuel, the
> interstitial space the gasifier is designed to run with, is
> generally much larger than that of chips or fine feedstock, using
> the correct sized fuel, in-turn, lowers the reaction core
> temperature, thus creating more, and more consistant amounts, of CO.
> (the main flamable gas, in woodgas). (H2 and CH4 are simply "bonus"
> gases.....)
>
>   Greg Manning.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>   On Mon, Jun 20, 2011 at 6:01 PM, Pete & Sheri
> <spaco at baldwin-telecom.net> wrote:
>
>     Has anyone here had any experience running an engine using the
> Stak Properties 10K gasifier?
>
>
>
>     They tell me that the JXQ-10 gasifier is a forerunner to this
> machine. I have one of those.  I?d like to be able to correspond
> with others who have this style of machine.  Currently I am having
> mixed results getting a steady flow of good gas to run my   6.5 KW
> Onan 1800 rpm genset from it.  On Saturday, I got it to deliver
> about 3.8 kw for about 12 minutes, but then the quality of the gas
> deteriorated.  On Sunday a similar test produced worse results, but
> over about a one hour period, with gas quality again deteriorating
> as the test went proceded.
>
>       I am not writing to waste the time of senior members here by
> asking them to troubleshoot my problems, without enough info.  Just
> want to show what kind of issues I have for those who might be
> involved with similar equipment.
>
>       My goals are to: 1. See how much power I can squeeze out of
> the generator for an extended period of time with this gas source,
> and 2. To get some actual experience making woodgas.
>
>
>
>     Looking back over my videos and notes, I can see a dozen or two
> things that I could do better next time.
>
>
>
>     Pete Stanaitis
>
>
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>
>
>
>
>
>   --
>    Regards,
>
>   Greg Manning,
>   Brandon, Manitoba, Canada
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
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