Homemade gas generator using wood - is it worth the trouble? Making a wood-burning gas generator: description of the device, drawing Do-it-yourself wood-burning gas generator

Gas, which we often use for cooking, heating the house and heating water for household needs, is extracted not only from the bowels of the earth. It can be obtained by burning some natural materials, for example, wood, sawdust, coal, peat, agricultural waste, etc. Even some types of garbage are suitable for this purpose (old parquet, linoleum and some types of plastic). Indeed, during the combustion of the above materials, a gas is released, which, if mixed in certain proportions with oxygen, burns well and releases a relatively large amount of thermal energy. Only for this you will have to purchase a special type of heating equipment - a wood-burning gas generator.

So, in order for the wood in the firebox to release the required amount of combustible gas, it is necessary that it burns with a small supply of oxygen. In fact, the fuel should not burn, but smolder. But at the same time, the temperature inside the chamber should be rather high, not less than +1100°C. This is one of the main conditions.

It is very difficult to work with gases at this temperature, because their quality is low enough to be used for its intended purpose. It’s just that the efficiency from burning them will not be very large, so flue gases are usually purified. But before that they need to be cooled a little.

Horizontal model of a gas generator

Gases are cleaned using special filters, where they are cleaned from ash, suspended particles, acids (formic and acetic) and other impurities. After which they enter the mixing tank, where the gases are mixed with fresh air. And now the ready-made air-gas mixture can be used for its intended purpose. This is the operating principle of a wood-burning gas generator. The process is not the simplest, and therefore the design of this unit is not simple. Although many home craftsmen make them with their own hands.

By the way, solid fuel pyrolysis boilers are one of the types of gas generators. True, they lack the stages of cooling the flue gases and their purification. Combustible material immediately from the firewood combustion chamber enters the second firebox, where the gases are enriched with oxygen and burned. Gas is not used for other purposes.

Advantages and disadvantages

Like any type of heating equipment, gas-generating solid fuel boilers have pros and cons in design and operation.

Simple design

Advantages

• Let's start with the efficiency factor, as the most fundamental criterion for the efficient operation of the unit. So for pyrolysis solid fuel boilers it has a range of 85-95%. For comparison: conventional wood-burning units have an efficiency of no more than 65%. The efficiency coefficient determines the ratio of fuel consumption, which is sufficient to generate the required amount of thermal energy. And it, in turn, must be rationally used to maintain the required temperature conditions indoors. This is such a complex relationship.
• In gas generators, fuel burns much longer than in conventional appliances. If firewood is used as fuel, then the duration of burning one bookmark can last for a couple of days. With coal this figure is much longer, up to one week.
• The wood-burning gas generator has certain design features that help burn the fuel to the end. All that remains is ash and soot on the walls of the combustion chamber. Why is this a positive thing? There are two factors here: the bookmark burns longer, and cleaning the device is simplified.
• Typically, solid fuel boilers are difficult to automate. It is almost impossible to regulate the processes occurring inside the unit. In wood-burning gas stoves, the combustion process can be automated. Of course, this is not as simple as, say, with gas or electric heating devices, but such a possibility is present.
• Since carbon monoxide is purified and burned, this means that a small amount of harmful substances enters the surrounding atmosphere. Today, this is one of the most stringent requirements that wood-fired pyrolysis boilers fully comply with.
• Modern models of gas generators have various advantages that set them apart from the general category of solid fuel boilers. For example, in the firebox of some models you can fit logs more than one meter long and use wood with a moisture content of up to 50%.

Homemade gas generator device

Flaws

• The big disadvantage of wood-fired gas generator boilers is the difficulty of supplying air to the mixing chamber with carbon monoxide. It is very difficult to do this in a natural way, so almost all models in their design use mechanical inflation using a fan. And this suggests that our boiler immediately goes into the category of “energy-dependent units”.
• If you miss the moment of power drop, especially when it drops below half of its nominal value, then tar immediately begins to form on the walls of the combustion chamber and in the chimney due to soot and condensation of wet vapors. Therefore, the advice is to always keep the minimum temperature at +60°C.
• The price of wood-burning generators for home use is almost twice as high as conventional solid fuel boilers. Of course, there are offers on the market in the form of homemade heating devices, but there is no guarantee that this option will work efficiently and economically. So it's not worth the risk.

Attention! It has already been said above that it is easier to automate a gas generator than a classic solid fuel boiler. Let us add that a generator with an automation unit operates much safer.

Schematic diagram of a conventional pyrolysis boiler

Types of wood generators

There is a fairly large range of gas generators that run on wood. There are very simple designs in the form of potbelly stoves, there are also complex units in which all processes are carried out: from burning wood to cleaning flue gases and their combustion.

For example, a solid fuel stove. In fact, this is an ordinary potbelly stove with a horizontal jumper divided in half, one end of which does not reach the wall of the stove. A small gap remains through which the flue gases move into the upper combustion chamber. The second firebox is a system of channels through which gases move from bottom to top. At the same time, they capture fresh cold air entering the boiler from the lower nozzles. This is where mixing and production of an air-gas mixture occurs. By the way, cold air, passing through the nozzles and channels, also heats up, so there is no reason to worry that the mixture will not ignite.

Although such a potbelly stove has good efficiency, it is still an ineffective heating unit. It is not recommended to use it for the main radiator heating system. But for heated floors it is just right.

Pyrolysis stove potbelly stove

Long-burning solid fuel pyrolysis boilers are best suited for the main heating system. The basis for their effective operation is the correctly carried out pyrolysis process in the first combustion chamber, where firewood is placed. As mentioned above, they should simply smolder in the firebox, because a small amount of fresh air enters here.

The quality of its combustion will depend on how the fuel is placed correctly. Therefore, it is recommended to stack firewood as close to each other as possible, leaving minimal gaps between them. The less free space left, the better. There are two types of stacking firewood:

1. Rows in a horizontal plane.
2. In the form of a cage or well.

So, let's summarize. Wood-burning gas generators are undeniably the best option from the “solid fuel boilers” category. They have a fairly large number of advantages over other models in this category. But I would like to note the high efficiency. Even just because of it, it was possible to make a choice towards a gas generator.

Don't forget to rate the article.

The use of gas from burnt charcoal has been known since the late 1800s. Gas was supplied through pipes to houses and used in street lamps. Back in 1862, an omnibus with a gas generator set traveled in Paris. In difficult times, humanity returned to gas generation again. During World War II, about 450 thousand cars in Europe alone ran on gasgen. There was a large amount of such equipment in the USSR. Even now in North Korea, cars with gas generators are used.

The author of the homemade product also decided to make a gas generator installation for his electricity generator.

Tools and materials:
-Metal bucket with lid and gasket;
-Can of paint;
-Foam rubber;
-A metal sheet;
-Various pipes with fittings;
- Shut-off valves;
-Heat-resistant sealant;
- Fasteners;
-Welding machine;
-Drill;
-Keys;
-Drill;
-Carbon monoxide detector;

Step 1: Converting the Electric Generator
In order for the electric generator engine to run on gas, it is necessary to rebuild its fuel system. I removed the air filter and attached a plate in its place. A tee was secured to the plate. A ball valve was screwed to the top of the tee and an air filter was attached to it. I redid the exhaust pipe so that part of the exhaust gases would be supplied to the gas generator furnace. There will be gas supply through the other entrance of the tee. This design will allow you to reuse unburned fuel and fan the flame at the same time.

Step 2: Making a gas generating unit
As a basis for the gas generator, the author used a metal bucket with a tight-fitting lid.
I cut out three metal plates. I bent one of them to fit the curvature of the bucket.

I attached the plate to the bottom of the bucket from the outside. I made a through hole at a distance of 5 cm from the bottom of the bucket. I made four holes for attaching the plate.

I secured the inlet tube to the plate using a welding machine.

I applied high temperature silicone sealant to the plate. I screwed the plate to the bucket with four bolts.
.

In the same way, I secured the gas outlet pipe in the lid of the bucket. Here the author used two plates, one on top of the lid and the other on the bottom. The gas exhaust pipe is installed in such a way that it does not reach half of the firebox.

Step 3: Gas Filter
Since during combustion a lot of dust rises up along with the gas, which can damage the engine, the author installed a filter in the line. The author used a paint can and foam rubber as a filter. I made holes in the bottom of the jar and in the lid. I installed a fitting into the holes. I put foam rubber in the jar. Installed a filter in the gas supply pipe.

Step 4: Charcoal
The author used coal purchased in a store as fuel, although in the future he plans to produce it himself by burning wood in a closed barrel. The size of the coal should be greater than 3 mm, but less than 20. It is advisable to use hardwood coal.

Step 5: Testing and modification of the gas generator
Putting fuel in the firebox, he lit the fire. Having closed the engine air filter, I pulled the starter cord. Gas began to be sucked into the engine carburetor. Adjusting the air supply, I started the engine. The engine worked properly, but some deficiencies in the gas supply were revealed.
When checked with a gas analyzer, it turned out that there were gas leaks through the connections. The plastic pipe installed on the engine exhaust also began to melt.

The author installed a new adapter plate with threads on the carburetor. Also, plastic pipes were replaced with metal ones. Subsequent tests revealed no leaks.

To stop the combustion process, the author used plugs.

The wood-burning internal combustion engine is not a ghost from the distant past. Cars and power plants using wood as an energy source can still be found today. It is worth clarifying: the engine operates on gas obtained from wood by burning it in a certain way. Installations that produce such gas are called gas generators; they have been used in industrial enterprises for quite a long time. But is it possible to make a gas generator with your own hands and is it worth doing? These are the questions that our article aims to answer.

How does a gas generator work?

To understand what benefits a gas generator can have in a household, you need to understand its operating principle, and then its structure. Then it will be possible to estimate the costs of its production, and most importantly, what kind of result will be obtained.

So, a pyrolysis gas generator is a complex of components and assemblies designed to separate a mixture of combustible gases from solid fuel for the purpose of its use in internal combustion engines.

For reference. The designs of generators differ from each other depending on the type of solid fuel burned; we will consider the most relevant of them - wood-burning.

If wood is burned in a closed space, limiting the supply of oxygen, then the output can be a mixture of combustible gases. Here is their list:

• carbon monoxide (carbon monoxide CO);
• hydrogen (H2);
• methane (CH4);
• other unsaturated hydrocarbons (CnHm).

Note. The mixture also contains non-flammable ballast gases: carbon dioxide (carbon dioxide), oxygen, nitrogen and water vapor.

An effective wood gas generator must not only produce a combustible mixture, but also make it suitable for use. Therefore, the entire cycle of obtaining fuel for internal combustion engines can be safely called a technological process consisting of the following stages:

• gasification: wood does not even burn, but smolders when the amount of oxygen supplied is 33-35% of that required for complete combustion;
• primary rough cleaning: volatile particles of combustion products produced by wood gas generators after the first stage are separated using a dry vortex filter - a cyclone;
• secondary rough cleaning: carried out in a scrubber - purifier, where a flow of fuel is passed through water;
• cooling: combustion products with temperatures up to 700 ºС pass through it in an air or water heat exchanger;
• fine cleaning;
• sending to the consumer: this can be pumping fuel by a compressor into the distribution tank or supplying it to the mixer, and then directly to the internal combustion engine.

You can consider the design and operating principle of an industrial gas generator in the technological diagram presented below:

The full gas production cycle is quite complex, since it includes several different installations. The most basic one is a gas generator, which is a metal column of cylindrical or rectangular shape, narrowing downwards. The column has pipes for air and gas outlet, as well as an access hatch to the ash pit. The unit is equipped with a lid on top for loading fuel; the chimney is not connected to the body; it is simply missing. The combustion and pyrolysis process taking place inside the column is well reflected by the gas generator diagram:

Without going into the intricacies of the chemical reactions taking place inside the column, we note that the mixture of gases described above is obtained at the exit from it. Only it is contaminated with particles and combustion byproducts and has a high temperature. Having studied the drawings of gas generators of any design, you will notice that all other equipment is designed to bring gas back to normal. Air is forced into the combustion zone by a traction or blowing machine (in simple words - a fan).

It must be said that a homemade wood-burning gas generator is made by home craftsmen with a less complex design and the technology for releasing gas in it is somewhat simplified, which will be discussed below.

Myths about gas generators

On the Internet there are often many unsubstantiated claims about the operation of such units and conflicting information is given about the use of gas generators. Let's try to dispel all these myths.

The first myth sounds like this: the efficiency of a gas generator unit reaches 95%, which is disproportionately greater than that of solid fuel boilers with an efficiency of 60-70%. Therefore, heating a house with its help is much more profitable. The information is incorrect from the outset; you cannot compare a household gas generator for a home and a solid fuel boiler; these units perform different functions. The task of the first is to produce flammable gas, the second is to heat water.

When talking about generating equipment, its efficiency is the ratio of the amount of product obtained to the volume of gas, which can theoretically be isolated from wood, multiplied by 100%. Boiler efficiency is the ratio of the generated thermal energy of wood to the theoretical calorific value, also multiplied by 100%. In addition, not every biogas plant, let alone a gas generator, can extract 95% of combustible fuel from organic matter.

Conclusion. The essence of the myth is that they are trying to compare mass or volume with units of energy through efficiency, and this is unacceptable.

It is easier and more efficient to heat a house with a conventional pyrolysis boiler, which in the same way releases flammable gases from wood and immediately burns them using the supply of secondary air to an additional combustion chamber.

The second myth is that you can put fuel of any moisture content into the bunker. You can load it, but only the amount of gas released drops by 10-25%, or even more. In this regard, the ideal option is a gas generator that runs on charcoal, which contains almost no moisture. And so the thermal energy of pyrolysis is spent on the evaporation of water, the temperature in the furnace drops, and the process slows down.

Myth three – the cost of heating a building is reduced. This is not difficult to check; just compare the cost of a wood-burning gas generator and a conventional solid fuel boiler, also made by yourself. Plus you need a water heating device that burns wood gases, for example, a convector. Finally, operating this entire system will take a lot of time and effort.

Conclusion. A homemade wood-burning gas generator, made with your own hands, is best used in conjunction with an internal combustion engine. That is why home craftsmen adapt it to generate electricity at home, or even install it on a car.

Automotive gas generator

You need to understand that a gas generator for a car must be quite compact, not too heavy and at the same time efficient. Foreign colleagues, whose incomes are much higher than ours, make the generator housing, cyclone and cooling filter from stainless steel. This allows you to take half the thickness of the metal, which means the unit will come out much lighter. In our realities, pipes, old propane cylinders, fire extinguishers and other available materials are used to assemble a gas generator.

Below is a drawing of a gas generator installed on old UralZIS-352 trucks, and you should use it to guide you when assembling the unit:

Our craftsmen most often make the outer tank from liquefied propane cylinders; the inner tank can be made from the receiver of a ZIL or KamAZ truck. The grate is made of thick metal, the pipes are made of the corresponding pipe diameter. The lid with clamps can be made from the cut off top of the cylinder or from sheet steel. The lid seal is made of asbestos cord with graphite impregnation.

A coarse filter - a cyclone for cars - is made from an old fire extinguisher or a simple piece of pipe. At the bottom of the pipe there is a conical nozzle with a fitting for unloading ash, and at the top the end is closed with a tightly welded lid. The outlet pipe for purified gases is cut into it, and on the side there is a second fitting where combustion products will be supplied. The functional cross-sectional diagram of the cyclone is shown in the figure:

Since a car gas generator produces gases at high temperatures, they need to be cooled. There are two reasons:

• hot gaseous fuel has too low a density and it will not be easy to ignite it in the cylinders of an internal combustion engine;
• There is a danger of spontaneous outbreak when contacting hot surfaces of the motor.

The movement of gases throughout the entire path during ignition is ensured by a fan, and after starting the engine, the necessary vacuum appears in the system, the fan turns off.

For cooling, craftsmen use ordinary finned heating radiators, placing them on the car in such a way that they are blown with air as much as possible while driving. Sometimes modern bimetallic radiators are even used. Before entering the gas generator engine, the fuel requires fine cleaning; for this, various types of filters are used at their discretion. All nodes are combined into one installation in accordance with the diagram:

And the last part is the mixer, which is needed to regulate the proportions of the gas-air mixture. The fact is that wood gas has a calorific value of only 4.5 MJ/m3, while natural gas used in cars has a calorific value of as much as 34 MJ/m3. Therefore, the proportions of fuel and air must be different and will need to be adjusted using a damper.

Conclusion

Despite the attractiveness of the idea of ​​burning wood instead of gasoline, in modern conditions it is practically unviable. Long ignition, driving at medium and high speeds, which affects the life of the internal combustion engine, lack of comfort - all this makes existing installations ordinary curiosities that are not widely used. But making a gas generator for a home power plant is a completely different matter. A stationary unit together with a converted diesel internal combustion engine can be an excellent option for powering a home. Published

I want to tell my story of creating a car gas generator (I post hours of video detailing its creation)
As planned, it should also work as a household stove (like a gas stove)
looks like this (this block that we are just making is not yet working; it will be attached to a car gas generator as an additional module):

Better than cooking outside the city on bricks and a fire.

Before I begin to describe the process itself, I will immediately say that I have posted all the detailed videos of the step-by-step production of a car gas generator here:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA1E8C311DEC09E1C
(the first videos are short, but the subsequent ones are already long, edited into an hour-long video)

It all started when I watched the film “Eco-Inventors: Wood-Powered Cars” and I liked the idea of ​​driving not on gasoline or gas, but on wood, so much that I immediately decided to create such a device for myself. There are materials here and there on the Internet on this topic (I recommend Tokarev’s books Gas Generator Cars), but I didn’t find specific step-by-step material on how to do it. In my head it was looming that 1 liter of gasoline equals 2 kg of firewood (under different humidity conditions and wood, this figure fluctuates - I wrote a very average figure). Therefore, I started looking for a real designer who had already made gas generators. I searched for about a month and received several refusals. But finally, through a neighbor in the country, I found out about a friend of his who had already made such a gas generator, but only for the house, not for a car.
By the way, here is the gas generator he created, there is a video of how it works, but I will only post a photo:

I met with him and we agreed that I would pay for all stages of work from drawings to testing on the track to create an apparatus that would allow the car to drive on ordinary wood.

They shook hands and the creation of an automobile gas generator began.

I immediately told my chief designer, Grigorich, to design a gas generator for a car so that the materials from which it will consist are easy to find and very cheap (for example, abroad, including in Finland, gas generators for passenger cars are made from stainless steel whose melting point is higher than that of ordinary metal - but stainless steel is very expensive despite the fact that there is less of it - where we take metal 2-4 mm thick, stainless steel sheets would be thinner and the weight of the structure would be less - which also affects the speed car).

The backbone of our automobile gas generator was an old household gas cylinder. Which would be both a loading zone and a wood burning zone and the core of the gas generator.

We were considering the option of an ordinary iron box - which could be welded from sheets of metal (instead of a cylinder), but as our chief designer Grigorich said - the less welding the better, it can leak, rust - and this can cause an explosion (an explosion is not an explosion) but strong pop of gases. A strong explosion is possible only when the gas is stored; in our case, it is not stored, but goes directly into the engine, so what happens with methane cylinders will not happen here. Therefore, it was decided to take pipe-shaped material; ideally, they wanted to take a pipe. I even tried to get her, I was exhausted, let me tell you.

325 and 375 pipes are sold at factories for 10-11 meters at a time (no one will cut a meter or 60 cm piece - they say buy it as a product). And the price per ton is about 12,000 UAH. (12,000/8 = $1,500). How to take her away and why do I need so much?

Then I could barely find used sellers of the same pipes - the price for these pipes was already 2 times less, but it was difficult to find a wall thickness of 5 mm - there was only 8 mm in stock.

According to GOST, the pipe has a wall thickness of 5-6-8-10-12 mm. I never found 5 mm and 6 mm, and as I later realized after talking with different people, this is rare.
The seller even agreed to cut me a meter of pipe 8 mm thick, its weight was about 80 kg. (now I could be wrong, somewhere there was a table of weights for these pipes) - I remember exactly what its price is for such a weight (5000 UAH per ton = $50 for 80 kg of pipe). The design is expensive and the weight is too high (the pipe is just the beginning).

That’s why we took the simplest used household gas cylinder with a wall thickness of about 3 mm. And it weighs two or more times less than the above-mentioned piece of pipe.

We've simplified the design as much as possible - and created it from materials that are easy for anyone to find. And so that they are cheap, and 50 dollars per meter of pipe is not a colinker.

We also considered the option of taking bu air receivers from trucks: Zila, Maza, Komaza, they are almost the same as a gas cylinder (but in my opinion it has a slightly larger diameter). Wall thickness 4 mm. and they cost a bushel already with delivery $12-24.
If you decide to take bu receivers, take from Zil military 131 - the wall is thicker, but remember that these bu receivers rot in the places where the structure is welded to the car.

Still, we decided to go with used household gas cylinders - they are easier to find.

I'll post more anyway. information on receivers, maybe someone will find it useful.
The dimensions and wall thicknesses of the receivers were reported to me over the phone by measuring the receivers at disassembly sites on the Internet, I searched as hard as I could, but I couldn’t find information on the sizes) so inaccuracies are possible.

Maz: 280 diameter - 2 mm. wall thickness.
Zyl: 220 diameter - wall thickness 2 mm.
Kraz: 220 diameter (it seems there is also such a diameter)
Kraz: diameter 280 mm. length 650, thickness about 3-3.5mm
Kamaz: 280 diameter by 605 length metal thickness 2 mm. design pressure 16 atmospheres

All our drawings are designed for a used gas cylinder with a diameter of 300 mm. Therefore, if you take the receiver as a basis, understand that our drawings will no longer suit you (air injection calculations, etc., were made for this diameter).

When I brought the cylinder from my dacha to the welder, he did not want to cut it for this reason: in these cylinders, even if the valve is unscrewed or even if supposedly all the gas is released, condensation remains in the form of greasy mucus on the walls (in the video, links to which I gave at the beginning of the topic you can see it). The welder was afraid to cut it, even though I carried the cylinder with the valve unscrewed in the car for two days in the heat. According to him, there could have been an explosion, not an explosion, but a strong bang.

Therefore, it was decided to either blow it out with compressed air, or fill it with water and start cutting with water inside pumped to capacity.

But in order to pour water into it, you first had to unscrew the head (valve). There are two valve mounting points.
It is very difficult to unscrew it to the very bottom, but higher it is possible, see the video on how we did it, we suffered through hemorrhoids -)

The cylinder does not unscrew and is not secured:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=D9tvNviDOCw

I managed to unscrew the top to release the remaining gas, I carried the cylinder for 2 days in four - the stench from the old condensation was strong.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=tmllDbf-Foc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=FFl9PrYxk5c

In this video I explain what we will do with the cylinder, how we will unscrew it, I show it in the drawing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=703EhqSF-0E

We weld the cylinder to the base, it takes force to unscrew it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=7JlX-qy_c3g

We try to twist, we break the key, we struggle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6YnFO1GXxfc

Finally unscrewed the header
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=eUPoU4g3icQ

People invented electricity, learned to use solar and wind energy, and extract various minerals, such as oil and gas. However, most of them still continue to burn wood in their furnaces. Sawdust and other waste from the woodworking industry can be used if you make a gas-generating car using wood with your own hands. Many craftsmen today successfully operate such devices.

Show all

How the car works

A special feature of a gas generator for a wood-burning car is the unit in which the gas mixture is produced. Then it enters the internal combustion engine, where it is burned. As a result of these processes, the car moves. When using such a device, it must be taken into account that it takes up a lot of space and requires the use of additional equipment- filter, tube and radiator.

A gas generator is a device that turns wood into gas. Everyone knows that gas is an alternative energy source for cars. This is confirmed by the large number of gas filling stations. However, obtaining fuel yourself is not only possible, but also quite realistic. The on-board design is capable of generating as many resources as the vehicle requires. However, there is one caveat: hot fuel is less efficient, especially if it contains impurities. Therefore, the first thing you need to do is cool it and then clean it.

After leaving the unit, the gas moves through pipes to the filter, and then to the radiator. During movement, it is cleaned of dust and acids. In addition, its temperature decreases. As they pass through the labyrinths, impurities settle on the walls in the form of liquid or solid particles. Through a special tee, the gas is combined with oxygen and sent to the engine. Then the mixture not only reaches the required condition, but also ends up in the engine. After this, the gas enters the combustion chamber and sets the car in motion.

The suspension, interior, engine and clutch of the car remain in place. The only problem is where to place the gas generator and how to route the piping to make the machine look like a steam locomotive. All these issues should be studied in detail before starting work.



The essence of the gas generator

It is quite possible to make a car using wood with your own hands. Manufacturing a gas generator is a feasible task, as is its installation. To begin with, it is important to understand the features of the unit and the essence of the process. The design itself is presented in the form of a cylinder narrowed at the bottom. We can figuratively call it a bunker, a storage unit for firewood in which there is a cylindrical part. Combustion occurs in the narrow half.

The workpieces themselves fall under the influence of their own weight. This ensures an uninterrupted supply of fuel to the combustion source. The ash settles in a special container, which periodically requires cleaning. Firewood is loaded into the hatch from above.

Small pieces are placed tightly from the grate to the lid. The latter is sealed hermetically to minimize leakage. The device is ignited, and after some time the car can hit the road.

The structure should not be confused with an open fire. The oxygen required for combustion is supplied in portions through a special tube. On the opposite side there is a hole for gas outlet. When air is supplied in batches, active combustion does not occur. Wooden blanks undergo pyrolysis - they smolder over low heat, actively releasing a flammable mixture.

Wood-burning machine - made in Donetsk

The main purpose of a gas generator is to produce a flammable gas called carbon monoxide. It is this substance that will burn in the internal combustion engine. This procedure can be positioned as complete and partial combustion, during which carbon monoxide is formed. In addition, carbon dioxide is also released. Firewood, when burned in contact with moisture, forms a mixture that consists of:

• methane;
• unsaturated hydrocarbons;
• carbon monoxide;
• hydrogen.




In addition, several non-combustible components are released during the combustion process. These include:

• oxygen;
• water;
• carbon dioxide;
• nitrogen.



Types of structures

There are three types of gas generators for cars. If oxygen is supplied from the bottom and gas is taken from the top, this is a direct-flow product. With such a placement of pipes, the gas mixture is released during combustion at the bottom of the cone. As gases move through coal and wood, air and heat are released. After the workpieces pass the hot gas mixture through themselves, they are dried and prepared for pyrolysis.

If oxygen is supplied to support combustion at the beginning of the narrow part of the bunker, and the gas mixture is taken from below, then this type of device is called reverse or inverted. The tree is ignited inside, above the grate zone. Pipes for gas removal are located below the grate. This operating principle is similar to that of a smoking pipe.

There is also an alternative option - the combustion chamber of the return gas generator is limited by a special inclined partition. Opposite the oxygen supply pipe on the back side of the partition there is a niche from which flammable gas is taken. The oxygen supply and gas outlet pipes are located at the same level. The pipe supply line crosses the bunker transversely, which is why such a structure is called horizontal.

3) Do-it-yourself wood-burning gas generator #3

Direct-flow and horizontal gas generators have performed well when using peat, charcoal or coke. The overturned type of equipment is widely used for riding dry wood blocks.



Device Features

A characteristic feature of all gasifiers is the movement of carbon dioxide (carbon dioxide) through decomposing coal. In this case, the gas mixture releases excess air and is converted into carbon monoxide. It is advisable that a cyclone filter be placed between the heat exchanger and the combustion chamber. This is necessary to ensure that the gas mixture is cleared of all kinds of mechanical impurities. Such a device can trap about 90% of fugitive dust.

The radiator plays an essential role. As the gas cools, it becomes more concentrated and decreases in volume. This helps supply more fuel to the internal combustion engine. Engine power during operation directly depends on the temperature of the gaseous mixture. This is due to the fact that the gas is resistant to detonation, so it must be cooled to enhance compression.

A fine filter element made of two canisters is considered compact. Mineral wool and slag in granules are placed inside the containers. They will clean the gas well. It is imperative to install taps at the bottom of the filter and heat exchanger. This is necessary to drain condensate. After cleaning and cooling of the gas mixture, dew falls. Every 200 km of driving, about 3 liters of liquid are collected in the container.

Welds and joints must be sealed, because in the event of a leak with constant addition of firewood, the speed and performance of the car’s engine will remain at a minimum level. The assembled unit must be well secured so that it does not collapse from vibration during movement.

do-it-yourself gas generator for a car

A wood-burning gas generator engine for a car can come in various shapes and sizes. There are no specific requirements for these indicators. However, it must be taken into account that the device must be made of metal with a thickness of at least 3 mm. Where exactly to install the structure, each car enthusiast decides independently.

When choosing a location, it is important to consider not only the dimensions of the entire unit, heat exchanger and filters, but also the length of the pipes. It is important that the fuel batch is loaded through the lid from above. While the engine is running, refueling is carried out with a slight release of gas. If the internal combustion engine is switched off and the mass in the device continues to burn, loading a new batch is accompanied by the appearance of an abundant cloud.

Such a device can only be placed outside the car and always in the back. This is because there must be free access to the structure. The longer the planned distances without refueling, the larger the size of the product. The constituent elements of the apparatus must be made in accordance with the dimensions of the hopper.




The gas generator on a truck can be placed between the cab and the side on the driver's side. Pipes, heat exchanger and filter element are allowed to be placed behind the cabin. The fine filter should be located on the opposite side of the cabin (behind the passenger door). For convenient removal of condensate, pipes and drainage taps are located below the fine filter element.

On a passenger car, it is recommended to install the device on an open part. To do this, you can modify the trunk, weld the trailer, etc. It all depends on the taste preferences and fantasies of the owner. It is not recommended to install the equipment in the trunk under the lid, since during its operation smoke and coal dust will enter the vehicle interior.

Gas generator - unit, which produces flammable gas. After passing the latter through cleaning filters and a cooling radiator, a clean and cold gas mixture is obtained. Carbon monoxide can replace the classic fuel option, ensuring smooth engine operation. Gasoline internal combustion engines operate with a gas generator device without significant loss of performance.

DIY making

The production of any device begins with the production of a drawing. After studying the detailed information, a person has an idea of ​​​​the external design of the unit. Then all that remains is to bring your idea to life.

To make the device look aesthetically pleasing, you need to choose the right parts . To make it you will need:

First you need to make 5-6 holes at the top of the pipe. It will become the top part of the structure. An oxygen supply tube should be welded to one of the resulting holes. Gas will escape through the rest. In the lower part it is necessary to weld a perforated stainless steel bottom. You will get a grate part on which the coals will be placed. Dust will come out through the holes.

A metal cone is welded from the inside of the resulting glass to supply coals. Then you should weld a metal sheet with a hole the size of which matches the inner diameter of the pipe. The structure should be placed perpendicular to the top of the tube. The leaf will become the bottom of the hopper. The functions of the latter will be performed by the can.

The resulting workpiece is placed in a barrel and welded in such a way that there is room at the bottom for ash, and the neck of the can is placed above the barrel. Then one of the holes in the can must be aligned with the combustion chamber and connected with an oxygen supply tube. Next, a metal sheet is welded in the upper part, which covers the difference in size between the neck of the can and the barrel. The structure is ready.

Making a car using wood with your own hands is not as easy as it might seem at first glance. The procedure requires a lot of effort and time. However, for a skilled craftsman who is ready to experiment and is not afraid of difficulties, this is a very real task. It is very important to study in detail the device and principle of operation of the product, as well as to correctly draw up its drawing.