Can you power a car with wood?
Wood can be used to power cars with ordinary internal combustion engines if a wood gasifier is attached. In more recent times, wood gas has been suggested as a clean and efficient method to heat and cook in developing countries, or even to produce electricity when combined with an internal combustion engine.
How does a wood powered car work?
The operating principle is remarkably simple: by burning a barrel of wood or coal until it develops a core temperature of between 900° and 1,200°C (1,650° and 2,200°F), then restricting the fire’s supply of air, gasifiers produce flammable carbon monoxide that can be cooled, filtered, and delivered directly to a normal …
How long can a wood gasifier run?
The wood-powered Ford can run for about 30 minutes before it needs a fresh load of fuel. That’s not bad considering the gasifier can take a variety of wood.
Can you buy a wood gasifier?
There are only a few companies that produce wood gasifier systems commercially. A list can be found here below. Since wood gas systems have the tendency of being rather large, most focus on stationary applications (electricity production). Some may be suitable for building into vehicles though.
Why is wood not used as fuel?
As wood is obtained from trees, to use wood as a fuel, trees have to be cut down which leads to deforestation. And results in pollution and carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. Thus, though wood is a renewable source of energy it is not advisable as a fuel as it leads to more environmental pollution.
Why can’t wood be used as an automobile fuel?
Immediate issues were the weight of the wood-gas generator systems, the fact that they lowered engine power, and the sheer amount of wood they required. Operating a wood-powered vehicle was also quite labor intensive—even by the standards of early cars.
Why can wood be used to fuel cars?
Furthermore, the use of wood gas limits the output of the combustion engine, which means that the speed and acceleration of the converted car are cut. Wood gas consists roughly of 50 percent nitrogen, 20 percent carbon monoxide, 18 percent hydrogen, 8 percent carbon dioxide and 4 percent methane.
How efficient is wood gas?
Most stoves burn with 40 to 60 percent efficiency, and outdoor wood boilers usually get 30 to 50 percent. Meanwhile a wood gasifier gets 80 to 92 percent – but the key is dry wood. After a year, wood moisture content may be 20 to 35 percent; after two years, 10 to 20 percent.
How does a wood fired gasifier work?
A wood gasification boiler. Wood is burned in the firebox (top), and gases travel downward and are burned at 1,800 to 2,000 F in the ceramic chamber below. The hot gases then pass through a fire-tube heat exchanger to transfer heat to water stored in a large tank. Wood must be dry (preferably two years old).
How efficient is a gasifier?
The thermal efficiency for biomass gasification varies from 70-80%. The fuel gas composition ranges from 30-55% N2, 16-30% CO2, 12-30% CO, and 2-10% H2. Air blown gasification produces 2 Nm3 fuel gas/kg of dry biomass. The gas yield reaches 4 Nm3 of fuel gas/kg of polyethylene.
What are the advantages of wood-powered engines?
They can be used to run internal combustion engines (or gas turbines, for maximal efficiency) using wood, a renewable resource, and in the absence of petroleum or natural gas, for example, during a fuel shortage. They have a closed carbon cycle, contribute less to global warming, and are sustainable in nature.
What is the energy of wood gas in a car?
The energetic value of of wood gas is around 5.7 MJ per kg, compared to 44 MJ/kg for gasoline and 56 MJ/kg for natural gas ( source ). Furthermore, the use of wood gas limits the output of the combustion engine, which means that the speed and acceleration of the converted car are cut.
What type of fuel is used in an internal combustion engine?
During the late 19th century internal combustion engines were commonly fueled by town gas, and during the early 20th century many stationary engines switched to using producer gas created from coke which was substantially cheaper than town gas which was based on the distillation (pyrolysis) of more expensive coal.
What is a wood gas generator?
A wood gas generator is a gasification unit which converts timber or charcoal into wood gas, a producer gas consisting of atmospheric nitrogen, carbon monoxide, hydrogen, traces of methane, and other gases, which – after cooling and filtering – can then be used to power an internal combustion engine or for other purposes.