Flash I'm not using a bell reduction but an orifice plate 3/8" thick. I drilled a hole in the edge so I could get the probe right up to the center hole. The temp I wanted to monitor was in the area below the nozzles where all the gas has to pass through for cracking. I also have one on top of the grate to see if it would be an indicator as to when to shake the grate. All eyes on Doc this weekend. May the gasiforce be with you!
I plan on bringing the air in through the top of the lid in the same manner but I will go through the side of the wood hopper and pipe it straight down through the center into a nozzle about 1 or 2 inches above the top of the ember zone so stay tuned. This should work and it will be much simpler too.
Thanks Walwart. This was a learning process as I built the gasifier. I also found out that even using a small hand held propane torch accomplished the same thing. It was more about just getting the feel of welding. I'm not perfect with it but I do get solid beads now even on the thin stuff without burning thru or with very little burn thrus now.
I built a system very similar to this one. It worked great. Had a clear flame once I ran the gas through my cyclonic filter, a heat exchanger, a water cooler/filter and a straw filter. Very nice job. I will Integrate some of your ideas into my next system. God bless.
I do realize that the temperature will definitely raise up especially with the "billow" effect from the air nozzles and you are correct and this is my goal too. I have a few pluses with this design that may help with excessive heat. On my first design I had a burn tube that was 4 inches in diameter and because I light it from the side, my ember depth was always 4 to 5 inches deep. The new setup has a restriction of 2-3/4 inches and a depth that is about the same. "continued"
Hi, Flash... Great job. You've explained so well. That's why I like your videos coz how the way you explained every details. It is much appreciated. Looking forward for the test run video.
Tim first of all, thanks for the reply. I don't have any still photos of the fire cone being set into the cement. I'm getting ready to make a "how to" video as soon as I can catch a break from the rain and my job schedule. I plan showing exactly how I built the setup. I am using a single nozzle setup instead of the nozzles with the copper tubing like I have here in the video. It turned out to be the best route for me but the nozzles with the copper tubing are valid too. The rim is 8 inches OD.
Wow! The upper 40's and maybe up to the 50's! My yard could support aquatic life it's so saturated and we may get snow this Saturday but definitely something water related! I can only do so much indoor work on these projects so I am at the mercy of this mess! Once I do get it running I plan on building this on a raised platform with an overhead canopy but for now I'm stuck until I get some good weather.
I definitely want to add a temperature probe to this because I know it would speed up the tuning process. I'm really curious how this job is going to turn out. Another good indicator is to observe the smoke without the gas burning. The less smoke the better the burn in the chamber. I was looking at your setup and you really did a jam up job with yours too. These hobbies can eat up spare time in a New York minute! I just watched docdcox last video. He too has a lot of work invested into his setup
Hi Flash, This one will be a work of art - as are your past works. Can't wait to see what's coming. Please keep us posted on your progress. I built a cold smoke generator for making bacon and smoking fish and my device looks exactly like your fence post manifold. Right now I am taking a hard look at if I really need more bacon or should I duplicate this beast? VERY nice work and please keep us posted on your results.
I used to live in the mountains of VA so I know where you are coming from but that was almost 30 years ago. I was at the top elevation too and driving to and from the mountains was tricky even then. The weather is not right now so I know that you are dealing with some wild swings in the temperatures.
soreronicam Thanks for the input. I do plan on insulating around the burn zone just to help out with temperatures and I did extend the reduction zone by one inch but I did this to try to keep within the Imbert specs but it can be changed if I see issues. As far as glass beads go, the steel wool works great since it has a lot or micro surface areas and it too cleans with ease but that doesn't rule out the possibility of trying glass beads. My only concern would be the weight of them in my filter.
You brought up a question that I'm trying to answer and that's where to place a thermocouple. I thought about placing it at the top of the inverted bell in the hopes of getting a somewhat true reading but it may be too hot there. I even thought of the addition of physical "mini" port right at the top of the bell to slide a probe in from time to time until I learn this setup.
Yeah, I call that the inverted bell. It plays even a bigger role too. Because it spreads out, it allows the ashes and some of the embers to spread out and not bridge like you see in a downdraft or a FEMA setup. It has the same effect as an ice cube tray and yeah, it does aid in cleaning the gas because it will fill up with ash along with embers that will aid in cracking and/or trapping the tar and the deeper it is the more ash and ember it holds and the more it aids in the filtering process.
Hey thanks! I want this to stay as open source as possible! This isn't about how many youtube hits I get or about selling anything. This is something that I like to do from the heart.
Thanks plasmacutter1. I will get some info up as soon as I can on the gasifier build. As far as the arts go, it seems that art and music run hand in hand with people that build technical stuff too.
The bolt on bell can be taken off to allow the unit to accept a smaller reduction zone for smaller engines. I learned the hard way that the bell in this video was allowing too much char to fall through the reduction zone so I changed it out and it is working good now. I'll be doing a video with the generator running soon. One more thing. Had I welded the bell to the reduction zone, I would have had a major job with the fix. Instead I removed 5 nuts and made the mod to fix the issue.
Yeah, that was my reasoning in making the bottom bolt on inverted bell. This why I an excited about the second one too because if it works it will be very simple in it's construction and the reduction zone can be changed out "on the fly"
Like you said, I really won't know about the heat until I do a test run with this. From what I can tell my fire zone is equal to my fire zone in the other setup and that's why I'm saying that heat may not be an issue but only time and testing will answer these questions. If heat is an issue, I'll just add more cooling pipe or even go to a larger diameter cooling pipe so I've already been thinking about the heat issue.
Even though I used a 55 gallon drum, I designed this for a small engine. The sweet spot is set up for approx a 7.5 Hp engine. My restriction size is 2.5 inches and I am using five 3/8 in air nozzles. I can also regulate the air flow feeding the nozzles too. I may have to experiment with the nozzles to make sure that I get a good air penetration into the ember zone but I designed this to be flexible and parts can be changed on the drop of a dime with ease.
Feel free to copy the door idea. This is why I am posting these videos for. I went through the pains of trying to figure stuff out the first time so I know how it is to be trying to figure out a simple build that really works. I am also completing a second gasifier that will look the same as this one but it will be ultra simple in it's design without ANY of the copper lines or the air nozzles because after building this, I feel that it's too much over-kill. Cont:
The glue is not directly on the hot zones where embers are. It is only around the main copper tubes and the hopper to ensure there are no air leaks. Everything else is screwed in with compression type couplers where it butts up to the rim.
Some of weather swings here lately are nuts one day 0 next in the 40+ range and thats how the winter has been just off the wall! I know what you mean about driving i drove semi for over 10yrs been all over the USA in any weather lol driving is least of my worries lol! I always just drove no madder what the weather was just got used to anything! You need a bigger shop to build in lol out of the weather to work in lol dont worry you and me both need them!
A good hearth design using a rim with nozzles and a sheet of steel rolled around it works great too because it too has a low back resistance but the reason I avoided that design is because once the nozzles burn up (and they do wear out) you will have a major repair job replacing the burned up nozzles. The beauty of the single nozzle design is it can be unscrewed like a burned out light bulb and replaced with a new nozzle but that's just my opinion and others may disagree. I hope that helps.
Alright now to give you a laugh! I also figured out that I could use my handheld propane torch to accomplish the same thing. Since this video my welding skills have jumped leaps and bounds and my work is much cleaner now. I also found out that I could touch the welder to the pieces just for a second and that too would accomplish the task. Thank you for that tip.
The burn is happening right at the top of the hub just under the nozzles all the way down through to the reduction zone but the magic (the gas) is produced right above the nozzles where the red hot embers break down the wood ABOVE the burn and once the wood is decayed and turned to a sort of charcoal, it replaces the top ember bed as new hot embers to keep the process going. It's pretty simple.
moto2kx2 Thanks for the input. This is a learning experience for me and I am no expert in metals by any stretch of the imagination and that I will admit to. I had to work with the materials that I could lay my hands onto without spending a fortune on custom cut parts. The pipe fittings should be OK plus they aren't in the line of fire (The reaction zone where the heat is)
Yes you can braze it. A few weeks ago I broke down and purchased me an oxy/acetylene torch and it was the best damn investment I've made. It had been at least 40 years since I've used an oxy/acetylene torch and it would have made brazing to the pipes much easier without the risk of burning thru the thin steel pipe. The little mig welder does great but not on very thin stuff.
Hey Flash looks nice so far one thing i can tell you is to weld thin metal with a wire feed to thick start on the thin with low power setting then start a 1/8 back on it make a pass then turn up one setting then move closer to the thick metal make another pass then repeat til yr at the setting for the thick metal and bingo you just welded thin metal to thick! and with out burn threw spots! If you need better instructions email me lol you got it! Great looking so far!
I have 5 air tubes coming down from a manifold (single port air inlet) and taking a 90 into the fire tube. Looking at your''s I had the idea that I could use soft copper pipe and wrap them around the fire tube, so to speak, to get more preheat for the incoming air. Can't wait to get to Lowe's plumbing section.
I agree, my great fear is filling important engines with tar and other particulates - I'm anxious to see the vids on this baby working. Where did you get the plans, I"m interested in the same horse power. Would you mind at some point showing the "minimal" tools you used to build these. IMHO The ability to manufacturer basic parts is going to be an invaluable skill set.
You are asking about an adjustable restriction zone and I've already done it. This is why I have a bolt on inverted bell. The plate that the inverted bell is welded onto determines the restriction zone diameter.
120 CI four cylinder Alice Chalmers motor for a generator. You got a great design there. I have the same welder mines not that great I say it gets a attitude it will lay the nicest bead then out of the blue it wont weld just sputters and puts dingle berries everywhere
Hey l love your design and I hope you dont mind I am going to have a lot of questions in my quest to make one and your design has been the best one I have seen so far, keep up the good work man I look forward to seeing more from you.
Craig you can Google the following: "imbert nozzle sizing chart". My new design is a mixture between a stratified downdraft gasifier and the Imbert design. I use a very deep ember bed like the stratified downdraft gasifier plans call for but with nozzles instead of the downdraft method. My ember bed is 9 inches deep compared to the shallow ember bed on the gasifier in this video. I feel that it gives me a stable clean gas even at lower temperatures.
wkweasel Thanks for that tip! I will check that out The good thing is I am not depending on the RTV cement that much. I really didn't need to seal the inverted bell but I did and the worse that will happen is the RTV cement will turn hard and brittle but it will stay in place unless I remove the inverted bell. The rest of the RTV seals are a safe distance from any real heat so I'm hoping that everything is Good. "continued"
Adam thanks for the reply. I have actually improved and simplified this build since this video and I'll be doing a basic "how to" video really soon. Feel free to ask any questions and I'll try to help you out if possible.
It may be OK. All I can do is test it. The whole unit can be upgraded if needed plus this is a learning curve for me. I have made mistakes and I have figured out some pretty clever ideas so it's a learning curve. The sister gasifier to this doesn't use any copper but I can see where the acids along with other things in the gas will take a toll on any gasifier. I'll be doing a generator test soon and the gasifier appears to be running smoothly.
Yeah this is my first build for a gasifier..I've been reading on these things for over a yr & decided its time to get started.I'm wanting to build simple as possible but I want to do everything right the first time around.My plans are to run a truck/car with this thing.I have a good ways to go tho,lol..I've been giving alot of thought for the air nozzles & been thinking of coming down the center myself & maybe make it adjustable..Not sure yet
One more thing too. You do have a larger capacity setup than mine so I could understand your system generating much more heat than my setup. Let's keep our fingers crossed and see what happens.
Tim I took a different approach. Another youtube user "tecknowfreak" said that a simple effective way to size your nozzle(s) is to look at the diameter of the intake or the exhaust on an engine and make sure that the nozzle or the combined nozzles are just a bit bigger than the engine. Example: On my 5 Hp engine the exhaust size is 3/4 of an inch thick so technically I should use a size somewhere around 1 inch by his logic but in reality, I found that using a 1/2 inch nozzle gave me the: Cont
Flash, That looks like a great build. Thanks for sharing your work. A lot of good ideas you have turned into reality. I was wondering if you could share the resources you used to calculate how many air nozzles, air nozzle distance from throat restriction, and throat restriction size for your motor? Thanks again, keep up the good work. Mike
If the temperatures exceed the solder (at least on the top of the lid) I'll just go back and brace it. The only reason I didn't actually weld it is because I want to be able to heat it up and unscrew it if I need to and if I tack weld it, I burn the threads and ruin the lid's threads too. Even if the temperatures do melt it, the pieces are tightly threaded into the lid so they will not fall through. It would be a simple matter of re-bracing it. The solder is rated at 450 Deg F.
Hi Flash would you Mideast sharing ware I could find the specs on invert gasifiers , so if you wonder maybe to run a smaller or larger motor ? Nice job Flash thanks for sharing .
Good video man ..I like your clean out door Idea.If ya don't mind I'm going do my clean out door like yours , Its one of the best I've seen..I also don't have a welder yet so I am going to do as much as I can without welds ...
I plan on doing just that or at least a very clear "how to" guideline. I still have to get this up and running and test it for any issues but I feel that I'll be OK.
Everything galvanized was ground off. The couplings will be away from the actual burn zone and once I proof and tune the unit up the steel air nozzles will be upgraded to either stainless steel or to tempered steel. As far as the welder I have I am just now betting a handle on understanding and making solid dependable welds but the welds that were done may look a bit nasty but they don't leak and they are solid and that's where it counts.
I used the Imbert charts for the gasifier in the video but the second "off the fly" gasifier was a different story. Something else too. The single nozzle design does not have any back resistance but the copper tube fed nozzles do have a bit of back resistance. I have tried my gasifier both ways and a single nozzle design is not only a simpler build but to me it works better too. There is one more thing I want to mention so I will continue this one more time.
I will be using a semi hard wood from my property and it's already dried and seasoned so it's ready to use. for my design, my pieces will not be over one inch in diameter. This stuff worked really well and it burned very clean even in my "tar machine" FEMA. I was almost able to crack tar with this feed stock because it burned very even and very well. I was able to filter the gas to the point of being "invisible" clean even with my FEMA. Look at video # 6. I had zero smoke or tar on the output.
Remember me saying I could light the FEMA from a side port? I could also run it as a Imbert just by placing a skill saw blade on the top. I would see the burn tube get red hot at the bottom of the ember zone and even then the gas the overall temperature appeared to be stable. The tradeoff was a hotter area but in a smaller area. Your setup is pretty big and you are looking to run a monster Diesel correct? I'm not... I plan on running a small engine so I have my fingers crossed.
Thumbs up and Thanks a ton..okay I have watched them all and thanks for the open sourcing your doing. I now understand a whole lot more on Gasifieres but one question. on this new setup does the burn take place inside the reduction hub or just below? Also where have you found the size to horse power ratios? I would love to setup my pickup as a bug-out vehicle and Gas may not be available but this would supply propane and gas replacement to fit my needs and keep me and my Wife going..
Techknow there is only a thin layer of RTV cement that's between the high temp cement and the inverted bell. the rest that you see is where I wiped the excess cement off and I just rubbed it into the hi temp concrete. I really didn't even need to seal the bottom of the bell but I did because I was already sealing the copper pipe connections for any possible leaks. I used standard compression couplers on the rim for the nozzles so there was no need to seal those.
Flash these are awesome videos, thanks. Do you happen to have any pics or video of you cementing the cone inside the wheel? Also is that an 8" rim that you used?
and I will hook you up with the Imbert charts. This will give you a good idea of what you will need to construct for a given engine size. My new build is somewhere in between a downdraft and an Imbert build and if this build works, I will cover that statement in more detail in my next test video.
+hydrolife04 It should handle an engine in the 18 20 25 Hp range. I actually have this build sitting in my shop and it has not been ran yet. I was doing two builds side by side with one being a single center nozzle design. If you look at some of the later videos I cover the second build in detail.
Alright, where do I start? As I was building this unit up in the video I came up with what I consider to be an ultra simple design that loses all of the nozzles including the copper but it is still a Imbert design. This is why I started building a second unit right along with this one so that I can compare the two in action. With the new build, I will bring air in through the side down to the center above the ember zone and it too will be a "tuned" nozzle. Shoot me a personal message... Cont:
Is there somewhere to view the single nozzle design? I am thinking of using ss tubing instead of the copper because of the durability but, I would like to check out the single nozzle as well. Always stay open to new options.
FYI- Grind off all galvanized prior to welding. Seems you have a cast iron coupling it could and fail. Next time get a carbon steel one. You could pre heat the fence post with a torch to burn off galvanized also. Use 7018 rods on DC current if you have a DC welder, 6011 or 6013 may work also. IF you only have an AC welder try some AC 7018 rods.
This is a dumb question but what is a tar bell? I have an inverted bell at the bottom of the gas output. If you took an x-ray of my system it would look like an hour glass from a side view
I found that using a 1/2 inch nozzle gave me the proper billow effect or the proper air penetration into the ember bed to raise the temperatures high enough to either crack the tar or to lower it enough to be easily filtered clean. Why it worked out like that? I don't know but you could just use three 1/4 inch nozzles in a 120 Deg configuration for an engine that has a 3/4 inch diameter exhaust pipe. My 12.5 Hp lawn mower also has a 3/4 inch exhaust so go figure. Cont one more time:
One more thing i hope yr right abou the temp thing not getting that high but if i know from my builds you may have an issue with that RTV seal down by the reduction area farther away it should be good but in the areas near it you may find it might not hold up easy to fix once you get more time in on welding lol! Keep up the great work looks great so far!
The copper tubing should be OK (famous last words) and I know that heat won't be an issue because some of the high temperature RTV cement was just rubbed into the sides of the reduction zone to get it off of my fingers. I did use it on the steel plate where I bolted the inverted bell into place and in reality, I could have left it off with no issues. The worse that will happen is it will harden. My only real concern is the steel air nozzles cont:
My bad. For some reason I thought you were planning on running a monster Diesel setup! I must have you confused with another user. I have seen so many videos that they are running together! I'm no expert either so I second that statement. I did try to follow the Imbert chart but unless I was willing to do some serious metal fab I couldn't be exact on everything but my restriction zone and nozzles are pretty close. I guess the only way to learn this art is to just do it!
plasmacutter1 I am working on the video and I am gathering the materials to build two more gasifiers up for some friends so I'll use their parts to explain what I am doing. I am tight on free time but I'll get this puppy uploaded as soon as I complete it.
Trust me when I tell you that I am on it. I got a lot of work completed today because the rain backed off for about 5 hours so it's down to details now.
on the copper tube/theres auto crip ferrel method= slide on nut on to the copper.. then ferrel.. then as titen onto double male pipe 1/2 to 3/8ths.. the ferrrel swells and walla. beautiful/ esy tight fit...im good welder.. mig/ tig/ stick /braze.. the mig machine you got is great for thin pipe/ trick is stay on the thick metal fitting and after bead started /start lay bead on both pieces.. but mostly on the heavy metal. Great looking project/ bets the air flow is way more controllable=safer!!!Keep -up the good work .:>)
Ahhhh ha ha ha ha!... No! We have had so much rain this month then we got hit with the snow that it stopped me dead in my tracks so I just used the studio for drilling and the simple stuff. I got to give the room a good cleaning tomorrow!
Stand my and let me get a few test under my belt and I'll have something pretty soon. Believe it or not, I have already started on a simpler and what might be a better build then the one I'm building now!
but if this works out, I'll change them out with stainless steel nozzles. This is still in the stage where I don't know what may need to be changed or fine tuned so once I get it where I know it needs to be, I can upgrade to harder materials pretty much with ease. Because I am new at this, I decided to make this thing where I could work in it and change parts if needed to fine tune it up.
Can you elaborate ( be more precise on what the devise is or looks like) on the bolt you have and the inverted bell if your saying what I think you are saying with this if you are running a car engine it will idle and then give more wood gas as you push the accelerator down right?
but I also had a tiny barrel compared to the 55 gallon drum (Almost double!) so this gives the gas more real estate to expand just in the gasifier itself. Now, I will have a much larger 15 gallon cooling tank on the output and even though this unit is physically larger it is not geared up to be a large gas producer so I'm hoping the tradeoff and difference allow me to keep the temperatures easily manageable but only real world test will give me the answers. "Continued one more time."
I plan on playing around with a generator first.I don't think i will just dive right in on a vehicle , even tho I really want to lol..I plan on talking it slow and getting used to everything first, make sure everything is put together right..Yeah I keep coming up with different ideas..Here's a crazy one , Do you think it is possible to incorporate an adjustable restriction area?That would possibly be adjustable from 4" to 8" or so ..It just something I been thinking on ..Probably not possible
Before you take a major step of running a truck that will also be chalked with major headaches build a smaller test setup and get a feel of how things work first hand. Once you understand what you are looking for the rest will fall into place for you. After constructing the one in the video I was hit right between the eyes with a new design that I felt would be much simpler.
Flash, I had also thought of using the single nozzle after seeing it some other publications. How did u decide on size of single nozzle...5 nozzles X the size on the chart ie. 5X1/2"= 2 1/2" single nozzle?
Where I live there are some old country store/hardware stores that but them in bulk then they resell them for $20 or $30. You just have to go on a scavenger hunt.
I actually think I came up with a simpler better design than this one and I have already started constructing that one right along with this one! I'm sure that I'm losing my mind! HA! How are the filters going?
Before I forget, I will be releasing my 3rd "How to" video hopefully by this weekend and I used the oxy/acetylene to construct a really nice air tight cooling radiator so it paid for itself just on that job alone. What kind of music do you play? Do you play out or just for fun?
ok, watching this you used a old oxygen bottle, I went to my salvage yard and they didn't have anything like it. I have been thinking I could take a sheet of metal and wrap it or build a hexagon type of cylinder, I do have a harbor freight nmear me so a can get the tire rim. I am still thinking of a way of get a real cylinder type. maybe an old air compresser tank could work. any thoughts will helpfully, but still going to build one this year hopefully in a couple months
Hi Flash, hope you are doing well. I have seen almost all of your videos. Please suggest me can this imbert Gasifier be used to run huge marine engines of 400kw and connected to the grid. If yes can you suggest me the size we should go for. Thanks
![Blox Fruits Dragon Rework Update [Full Stream]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EqDAp8udhm0/mqdefault.jpg)
Flash
I'm not using a bell reduction but an orifice plate 3/8" thick. I drilled a hole in the edge so I could get the probe right up to the center hole. The temp I wanted to monitor was in the area below the nozzles where all the gas has to pass through for cracking. I also have one on top of the grate to see if it would be an indicator as to when to shake the grate. All eyes on Doc this weekend. May the gasiforce be with you!
I plan on bringing the air in through the top of the lid in the same manner but I will go through the side of the wood hopper and pipe it straight down through the center into a nozzle about 1 or 2 inches above the top of the ember zone so stay tuned. This should work and it will be much simpler too.
Thanks Walwart. This was a learning process as I built the gasifier. I also found out that even using a small hand held propane torch accomplished the same thing. It was more about just getting the feel of welding. I'm not perfect with it but I do get solid beads now even on the thin stuff without burning thru or with very little burn thrus now.
I built a system very similar to this one. It worked great. Had a clear flame once I ran the gas through my cyclonic filter, a heat exchanger, a water cooler/filter and a straw filter. Very nice job. I will Integrate some of your ideas into my next system. God bless.
I do realize that the temperature will definitely raise up especially with the "billow" effect from the air nozzles and you are correct and this is my goal too. I have a few pluses with this design that may help with excessive heat. On my first design I had a burn tube that was 4 inches in diameter and because I light it from the side, my ember depth was always 4 to 5 inches deep. The new setup has a restriction of 2-3/4 inches and a depth that is about the same. "continued"
Hi, Flash... Great job. You've explained so well. That's why I like your videos coz how the way you explained every details. It is much appreciated. Looking forward for the test run video.
Tim first of all, thanks for the reply. I don't have any still photos of the fire cone being set into the cement. I'm getting ready to make a "how to" video as soon as I can catch a break from the rain and my job schedule. I plan showing exactly how I built the setup. I am using a single nozzle setup instead of the nozzles with the copper tubing like I have here in the video. It turned out to be the best route for me but the nozzles with the copper tubing are valid too. The rim is 8 inches OD.
Wow! The upper 40's and maybe up to the 50's! My yard could support aquatic
life it's so saturated and we may get snow this Saturday but definitely something water related! I can only do so much indoor work on these projects so I am at the mercy of this mess! Once I do get it running I plan on building this on a raised platform with an overhead canopy but for now I'm stuck until I get some good weather.
I definitely want to add a temperature probe to this because I know it would speed up the tuning process. I'm really curious how this job is going to turn out. Another good indicator is to observe the smoke without the gas burning. The less smoke the better the burn in the chamber. I was looking at your setup and you really did a jam up job with yours too. These hobbies can eat up spare time in a New York minute! I just watched docdcox last video. He too has a lot of work invested into his setup
Hi Flash, This one will be a work of art - as are your past works. Can't wait to see what's coming. Please keep us posted on your progress. I built a cold smoke generator for making bacon and smoking fish and my device looks exactly like your fence post manifold. Right now I am taking a hard look at if I really need more bacon or should I duplicate this beast?
VERY nice work and please keep us posted on your results.
I used to live in the mountains of VA so I know where you are coming from but that was almost 30 years ago. I was at the top elevation too and driving to and from the mountains was tricky even then. The weather is not right now so I know that you are dealing with some wild swings in the temperatures.
soreronicam Thanks for the input. I do plan on insulating around the burn zone just to help out with temperatures and I did extend the reduction zone by one inch but I did this to try to keep within the Imbert specs but it can be changed if I see issues. As far as glass beads go, the steel wool works great since it has a lot or micro surface areas and it too cleans with ease but that doesn't rule out the possibility of trying glass beads. My only concern would be the weight of them in my filter.
You brought up a question that I'm trying to answer and that's where to place a thermocouple. I thought about placing it at the top of the inverted bell in the hopes of getting a somewhat true reading but it may be too hot there. I even thought of the addition of physical "mini" port right at the top of the bell to slide a probe in from time to time until I learn this setup.
Yeah, I call that the inverted bell. It plays even a bigger role too.
Because it spreads out, it allows the ashes and some of the embers to spread out and not bridge like you see in a downdraft or a FEMA setup. It has the same effect as an ice cube tray and yeah, it does aid in cleaning the gas because it will fill up with ash along with embers that will aid in cracking and/or trapping the tar
and the deeper it is the more ash and ember it holds and the more it aids in the filtering process.
Hey thanks! I want this to stay as open source as possible! This isn't about
how many youtube hits I get or about selling anything. This is something that I like to do from the heart.
Thanks plasmacutter1. I will get some info up as soon as I can on the gasifier build. As far as the arts go, it seems that art and music run hand in hand with people that build technical stuff too.
The bolt on bell can be taken off to allow the unit to accept a smaller reduction zone for smaller engines. I learned the hard way that the bell in this video was allowing too much char to fall through the reduction zone so I changed it out and it is working good now. I'll be doing a video with the generator running soon. One more thing. Had I welded the bell to the reduction zone, I would have had a major job with the fix. Instead I removed 5 nuts and made the mod to fix the issue.
Yeah, that was my reasoning in making the bottom bolt on inverted bell. This why I an excited about the second one too because if it works it will be very simple in it's construction and the reduction zone can be changed out "on the fly"
I really enjoy your videos... Very informative, educational, detailed, clear and innovative! Keep em coming... I really appreciate your work!
Like you said, I really won't know about the heat until I do a test run with this. From what I can tell my fire zone is equal to my fire zone in the other setup and that's why I'm saying that heat may not be an issue but only time and testing will answer these questions. If heat is an issue, I'll just add more cooling pipe or even go to a larger diameter cooling pipe so I've already been thinking about the heat issue.
Even though I used a 55 gallon drum, I designed this for a small engine. The sweet spot is set up for approx a 7.5 Hp engine. My restriction size is 2.5 inches and I am using five 3/8 in air nozzles. I can also regulate the air flow feeding the nozzles too. I may have to experiment with the nozzles to make sure that I get a good air penetration into the ember zone but I designed this to be flexible and parts can be changed on the drop of a dime with ease.
Feel free to copy the door idea. This is why I am posting these videos for. I went through the pains of trying to figure stuff out the first time so I know how it is to be trying to figure out a simple build that really works. I am also completing a second gasifier that will look the same as this one but it will be ultra simple in it's design without ANY of the copper lines or the air nozzles
because after building this, I feel that it's too much over-kill. Cont:
The glue is not directly on the hot zones where embers are. It is only around the main copper tubes and the hopper to ensure there are no air leaks. Everything else is screwed in with compression type couplers where it butts up to the rim.
Some of weather swings here lately are nuts one day 0 next in the 40+ range and thats how the winter has been just off the wall! I know what you mean about driving i drove semi for over 10yrs been all over the USA in any weather lol driving is least of my worries lol! I always just drove no madder what the weather was just got used to anything! You need a bigger shop to build in lol out of the weather to work in lol dont worry you and me both need them!
A good hearth design using a rim with nozzles and a sheet of steel rolled around it works great too because it too has a low back resistance but the reason I avoided that design is because once the nozzles burn up (and they do wear out) you will have a major repair job replacing the burned up nozzles. The beauty of the single nozzle design is it can be unscrewed like a burned out light bulb and replaced with a new nozzle but that's just my opinion and others may disagree. I hope that helps.
Alright now to give you a laugh! I also figured out that I could use my handheld propane torch to accomplish the same thing. Since this video my welding skills have jumped leaps and bounds and my work is much cleaner now. I also found out that I could touch the welder to the pieces just for a second and that too would accomplish the task. Thank you for that tip.
The burn is happening right at the top of the hub just under the nozzles all the way down through to the reduction zone but the magic (the gas) is produced right above the nozzles where the red hot embers break down the wood ABOVE the burn and once the wood is decayed and turned to a sort of charcoal, it replaces the top ember bed as new hot embers to keep the process going. It's pretty simple.
moto2kx2 Thanks for the input. This is a learning experience for me and I am no expert in metals by any stretch of the imagination and that I will admit to.
I had to work with the materials that I could lay my hands onto without spending a fortune on custom cut parts. The pipe fittings should be OK plus they aren't in the line of fire (The reaction zone where the heat is)
Yes you can braze it. A few weeks ago I broke down and purchased me an oxy/acetylene torch and it was the best damn investment I've made. It had been at least 40 years since I've used an oxy/acetylene torch and it would have made brazing to the pipes much easier without the risk of burning thru the thin steel pipe. The little mig welder does great but not on very thin stuff.
Ya we cant wait to see it up on its first run to see how well it works and does with the pvc pipe filters cant wait to see it!
good stuff flash. You're building wonderful skills and having fun.
Hey Flash looks nice so far one thing i can tell you is to weld thin metal with a wire feed to thick start on the thin with low power setting then start a 1/8 back on it make a pass then turn up one setting then move closer to the thick metal make another pass then repeat til yr at the setting for the thick metal and bingo you just welded thin metal to thick! and with out burn threw spots! If you need better instructions email me lol you got it! Great looking so far!
I have 5 air tubes coming down from a manifold (single port air inlet) and taking a 90 into the fire tube. Looking at your''s I had the idea that I could use soft copper pipe and wrap them around the fire tube, so to speak, to get more preheat for the incoming air. Can't wait to get to Lowe's plumbing section.
I agree, my great fear is filling important engines with tar and other particulates - I'm anxious to see the vids on this baby working. Where did you get the plans, I"m interested in the same horse power. Would you mind at some point showing the "minimal" tools you used to build these. IMHO The ability to manufacturer basic parts is going to be an invaluable skill set.
You are asking about an adjustable restriction zone and I've already done it. This is why I have a bolt on inverted bell. The plate that the inverted bell is welded onto determines the restriction zone diameter.
120 CI four cylinder Alice Chalmers motor for a generator. You got a great design there. I have the same welder mines not that great I say it gets a attitude it will lay the nicest bead then out of the blue it wont weld just sputters and puts dingle berries everywhere
Hey l love your design and I hope you dont mind I am going to have a lot of questions in my quest to make one and your design has been the best one I have seen so far, keep up the good work man I look forward to seeing more from you.
Craig you can Google the following: "imbert nozzle sizing chart". My new design is a mixture between a stratified downdraft gasifier and the Imbert design. I use a very deep ember bed like the stratified downdraft gasifier plans call for but with nozzles instead of the downdraft method. My ember bed is 9 inches deep compared to the shallow ember bed on the gasifier in this video. I feel that it gives me a stable clean gas even at lower temperatures.
wkweasel Thanks for that tip! I will check that out The good thing is I am not depending on the RTV cement that much. I really didn't need to seal the inverted bell but I did and the worse that will happen is the RTV cement will turn hard and brittle but it will stay in place unless I remove the inverted bell.
The rest of the RTV seals are a safe distance from any real heat so I'm hoping that everything is Good. "continued"
Adam thanks for the reply. I have actually improved and simplified this build since this video and I'll be doing a basic "how to" video really soon. Feel free to ask any questions and I'll try to help you out if possible.
awsome videos hope to be able to build one for myself just having trouble finding specs for the burn pot for the reduction zone and the nozzles sizes
It may be OK. All I can do is test it. The whole unit can be upgraded if needed plus this is a learning curve for me. I have made mistakes and I have figured out some pretty clever ideas so it's a learning curve. The sister gasifier to this doesn't use any copper but I can see where the acids along with other things in the gas will take a toll on any gasifier. I'll be doing a generator test soon and the gasifier appears to be running smoothly.
Yeah this is my first build for a gasifier..I've been reading on these things for over a yr & decided its time to get started.I'm wanting to build simple as possible but I want to do everything right the first time around.My plans are to run a truck/car with this thing.I have a good ways to go tho,lol..I've been giving alot of thought for the air nozzles & been thinking of coming down the center myself & maybe make it adjustable..Not sure yet
One more thing too. You do have a larger capacity setup than mine so I could understand your system generating much more heat than my setup. Let's keep our fingers crossed and see what happens.
Tim I took a different approach. Another youtube user "tecknowfreak" said that a simple effective way to size your nozzle(s) is to look at the diameter of the intake or the exhaust on an engine and make sure that the nozzle or the combined nozzles are just a bit bigger than the engine. Example: On my 5 Hp engine the exhaust size is 3/4 of an inch thick so technically I should use a size somewhere around 1 inch by his logic but in reality, I found that using a 1/2 inch nozzle gave me the: Cont
Flash,
That looks like a great build. Thanks for sharing your work. A lot of good ideas you have turned into reality. I was wondering if you could share the resources you used to calculate how many air nozzles, air nozzle distance from throat restriction, and throat restriction size for your motor? Thanks again, keep up the good work.
Mike
If the temperatures exceed the solder (at least on the top of the lid) I'll just go back and brace it. The only reason I didn't actually weld it is because I want to be able to heat it up and unscrew it if I need to and if I tack weld it, I burn the threads and ruin the lid's threads too. Even if the temperatures do melt it, the pieces are tightly threaded into the lid so they will not fall through. It would be a simple matter of re-bracing it. The solder is rated at 450 Deg F.
Hi Flash would you Mideast sharing ware I could find the specs on invert gasifiers , so if you wonder maybe to run a smaller or larger motor ? Nice job Flash thanks for sharing .
Good video man ..I like your clean out door Idea.If ya don't mind I'm going do my clean out door like yours , Its one of the best I've seen..I also don't have a welder yet so I am going to do as much as I can without welds ...
I plan on doing just that or at least a very clear "how to" guideline. I still have to get this up and running and test it for any issues but I feel that I'll be OK.
Everything galvanized was ground off. The couplings will be away from the actual burn zone and once I proof and tune the unit up the steel air nozzles will be upgraded to either stainless steel or to tempered steel. As far as the welder I have I am just now betting a handle on understanding and making
solid dependable welds but the welds that were done may look a bit nasty but they don't leak and they are solid and that's where it counts.
I used the Imbert charts for the gasifier in the video but the second "off the fly" gasifier was a different story. Something else too. The single nozzle design does not have any back resistance but the copper tube fed nozzles do have a bit of back resistance. I have tried my gasifier both ways and a single nozzle design is not only a simpler build but to me it works better too.
There is one more thing I want to mention so I will continue this one more time.
I will be using a semi hard wood from my property and it's already dried
and seasoned so it's ready to use. for my design, my pieces will not be over one inch in diameter. This stuff worked really well and it burned very clean even in my "tar machine" FEMA. I was almost able to crack tar with this feed stock because it burned very even and very well. I was able to filter the gas to the point of being "invisible" clean even with my FEMA. Look at video # 6. I had zero smoke or tar on the output.
Thanks! I am getting ready to upload a new video with the unit 99% completed. I may get it uploaded in the next few hours.
Remember me saying I could light the FEMA from a side port? I could also
run it as a Imbert just by placing a skill saw blade on the top. I would see the
burn tube get red hot at the bottom of the ember zone and even then the gas the overall temperature appeared to be stable. The tradeoff was a hotter area but in a smaller area. Your setup is pretty big and you are looking to run a monster Diesel correct? I'm not... I plan on running a small engine so I have my fingers crossed.
Thumbs up and Thanks a ton..okay I have watched them all and thanks for the open sourcing your doing. I now understand a whole lot more on Gasifieres but one question.
on this new setup does the burn take place inside the reduction hub or just below? Also where have you found the size to horse power ratios? I would love to setup my pickup as a bug-out vehicle and Gas may not be available but this would supply propane and gas replacement to fit my needs and keep me and my Wife going..
You forgot to say "Never let them see you sweat!" Ha! Thanks for your input and advise too.
Techknow there is only a thin layer of RTV cement that's between the high temp cement and the inverted bell. the rest that you see is where I wiped the excess cement off and I just rubbed it into the hi temp concrete. I really didn't even need to seal the bottom of the bell but I did because I was already sealing the copper pipe connections for any possible leaks. I used standard compression couplers on the rim for the nozzles so there was no need to seal those.
Flash these are awesome videos, thanks. Do you happen to have any pics or video of you cementing the cone inside the wheel? Also is that an 8" rim that you used?
and I will hook you up with the Imbert charts. This will give you a good idea of what you will need to construct for a given engine size. My new build is somewhere in between a downdraft and an Imbert build and if this build works, I will cover that statement in more detail in my next test video.
Fantastic video! This will be my next project. Wonder if it will run a military generator.
+hydrolife04 It should handle an engine in the 18 20 25 Hp range. I actually have this build sitting in my shop and it has not been ran yet. I was doing two builds side by side with one being a single center nozzle design. If you look at some of the later videos I cover the second build in detail.
Alright, where do I start? As I was building this unit up in the video I came up with what I consider to be an ultra simple design that loses all of the nozzles including the copper but it is still a Imbert design. This is why I started building a second unit right along with this one so that I can compare the two in action. With the new build, I will bring air in through the side down to the center above the ember zone and it too will be a "tuned" nozzle. Shoot me a personal message... Cont:
Is there somewhere to view the single nozzle design? I am thinking of using ss tubing instead of the copper because of the durability but, I would like to check out the single nozzle as well. Always stay open to new options.
FYI- Grind off all galvanized prior to welding. Seems you have a cast iron coupling it could and fail. Next time get a carbon steel one.
You could pre heat the fence post with a torch to burn off galvanized also.
Use 7018 rods on DC current if you have a DC welder, 6011 or 6013 may work also.
IF you only have an AC welder try some AC 7018 rods.
Hey tech, I'm just waiting on a break from this crazy weather! Did you guys get hit with the snow?
This is a dumb question but what is a tar bell? I have an inverted bell at the bottom of the gas output. If you took an x-ray of my system it would look like an hour glass from a side view
I found that using a 1/2 inch nozzle gave me the proper billow effect or the proper air penetration into the ember bed to raise the temperatures high enough to either crack the tar or to lower it enough to be easily filtered clean. Why it worked out like that? I don't know but you could just use three 1/4 inch nozzles in a 120 Deg configuration for an engine that has a 3/4 inch diameter exhaust pipe. My 12.5 Hp lawn mower also has a 3/4 inch exhaust so go figure. Cont one more time:
One more thing i hope yr right abou the temp thing not getting that high but if i know from my builds you may have an issue with that RTV seal down by the reduction area farther away it should be good but in the areas near it you may find it might not hold up easy to fix once you get more time in on welding lol! Keep up the great work looks great so far!
The copper tubing should be OK (famous last words) and I know that heat won't be an issue because some of the high temperature RTV cement was just rubbed into the sides of the reduction zone to get it off of my fingers. I did use it on the steel plate where I bolted the inverted bell into place and in reality, I could have left it off with no issues. The worse that will happen is it will harden. My only real concern is the steel air nozzles cont:
My bad. For some reason I thought you were planning on running a monster Diesel setup! I must have you confused with another user. I have seen so many videos that they are running together! I'm no expert either so I second that statement. I did try to follow the Imbert chart but unless I was willing to do some serious metal fab I couldn't be exact on everything but my restriction zone and nozzles are pretty close. I guess the only way to learn this art is to just do it!
What are you wanting to run with the gasifier? A generator?
Wow I must have missed that part..Rewatching ...
plasmacutter1 I am working on the video and I am gathering the materials to build two more gasifiers up for some friends so I'll use their parts to explain what I am doing. I am tight on free time but I'll get this puppy uploaded as soon as I complete it.
Trust me when I tell you that I am on it. I got a lot of work completed today because the rain backed off for about 5 hours so it's down to details now.
on the copper tube/theres auto crip ferrel method= slide on nut on to the copper.. then ferrel.. then as titen onto double male pipe 1/2 to 3/8ths.. the ferrrel swells and walla. beautiful/ esy tight fit...im good welder.. mig/ tig/ stick /braze.. the mig machine you got is great for thin pipe/ trick is stay on the thick metal fitting and after bead started /start lay bead on both pieces.. but mostly on the heavy metal. Great looking project/ bets the air flow is way more controllable=safer!!!Keep -up the good work .:>)
Ahhhh ha ha ha ha!... No! We have had so much rain this month then we got hit with the snow that it stopped me dead in my tracks so I just used the studio for drilling and the simple stuff. I got to give the room a good cleaning tomorrow!
This isn't standard cement. It's rated at 2400 Deg F plus it was baked dry so there will be no explosions due to internal moisture trapped in it.
Stand my and let me get a few test under my belt and I'll have something pretty soon. Believe it or not, I have already started on a simpler and what might be a better build then the one I'm building now!
but if this works out, I'll change them out with stainless steel nozzles. This is still in the stage where I don't know what may need to be changed or fine tuned so once I get it where I know it needs to be, I can upgrade to harder materials pretty much with ease. Because I am new at this, I decided to make this thing where I could work in it and change parts if needed to fine tune it up.
Can you elaborate ( be more precise on what the devise is or looks like) on the bolt you have and the inverted bell if your saying what I think you are saying with this if you are running a car engine it will idle and then give more wood gas as you push the accelerator down right?
but I also had a tiny barrel compared to the 55 gallon drum (Almost double!)
so this gives the gas more real estate to expand just in the gasifier itself. Now, I will have a much larger 15 gallon cooling tank on the output and even though this unit is physically larger it is not geared up to be a large gas producer so I'm hoping the tradeoff and difference allow me to keep the temperatures easily manageable but only real world test will give me the answers. "Continued one more time."
did you turn your recording studio into a fab shop? Looks like acoustic panels in the background
I plan on playing around with a generator first.I don't think i will just dive right in on a vehicle , even tho I really want to lol..I plan on talking it slow and getting used to everything first, make sure everything is put together right..Yeah I keep coming up with different ideas..Here's a crazy one , Do you think it is possible to incorporate an adjustable restriction area?That would possibly be adjustable from 4" to 8" or so ..It just something I been thinking on ..Probably not possible
Before you take a major step of running a truck that will also be chalked with major headaches build a smaller test setup and get a feel of how things work first hand. Once you understand what you are looking for the rest will fall into place for you. After constructing the one in the video I was hit right between the eyes with a new design that I felt would be much simpler.
are you still around? I don’t think I’ve seen any videos from you in a long time.
What is your instrument of choice that you play?
Looking forward to a update flash, hope all is well with you.
Flash, I had also thought of using the single nozzle after seeing it some other publications. How did u decide on size of single nozzle...5 nozzles X the size on the chart ie. 5X1/2"= 2 1/2" single nozzle?
oh i meant to ask are u going to put a tar bell on the core of the reactor i think it very important O.o
Where I live there are some old country store/hardware stores that but them in bulk then they resell them for $20 or $30. You just have to go on a scavenger hunt.
+flash001USA
Yeah, I hear ya. Just thought I would ask Thanks
Hello from Russia. A very interesting video.
I actually think I came up with a simpler better design than this one and I have already started constructing that one right along with this one! I'm sure that I'm losing my mind! HA! How are the filters going?
what is your restriction size and how big is the opening on your air nozzles?
Thanks, this is definitely a time burner but it's for a valid cause.
Before I forget, I will be releasing my 3rd "How to" video hopefully by this weekend and I used the oxy/acetylene to construct a really nice air tight cooling radiator so it paid for itself just on that job alone. What kind of music
do you play? Do you play out or just for fun?
also, what will you be using as feed stock for your unit?
nice !!! hopefully the weather here in germany is getting warm because i wonna start with mine gasifier :D greets
I still have my work ahead of me on this project so once the RTV cement dries I should be able to peel away the excess RTV cement.
ok, watching this you used a old oxygen bottle, I went to my salvage yard and they didn't have anything like it. I have been thinking I could take a sheet of metal and wrap it or build a hexagon type of cylinder, I do have a harbor freight nmear me so a can get the tire rim. I am still thinking of a way of get a real cylinder type. maybe an old air compresser tank could work. any thoughts will helpfully, but still going to build one this year hopefully in a couple months
Hi Flash, hope you are doing well. I have seen almost all of your videos. Please suggest me can this imbert Gasifier be used to run huge marine engines of 400kw and connected to the grid. If yes can you suggest me the size we should go for. Thanks