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Forum Index : Other Stuff : Wood Pellets
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Bryan1 Guru  Joined: 22/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1344 |
G'day Guy's, Today at work my boss asked me about the use of wood pellets for generating power for off the grid as he does know I live off the grid. So instead of the usual net surfing decided to do some research and thinking, well wood pellets are only good for generating heat and for one to make any power one has go back 100 years for the power source and YEP steam would be the way to go. OK one can make a dedicated steam engine to power an alternator etc or as I found convert an old 4 stroke petrol engine into a steam engine. By welding another lobe on the camshaft for both the inlet and exhaust then filing polishing filing polishing etc one will turn that 4 stroke into a 2 stroke engine suitable for running on compressed air or steam. I do have a few old 5hp briggs an stratton engines here never to be used again so this weekend time to have some fun and start converting one over to try on compressed air. Now as far as the pellet press goes that is going back to my boss as at work one could be designed and made. Cheers Bryan |
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norcold Guru Joined: 06/02/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 670 |
Just searching on the internet shows there seems to be a growing demand for wood pellets, if you have a good source of cheap raw material, could be income earner. Sounds like a very efficient method of using organic matter for heating etc. Wonder whether feasibly it could be taken another step and used to produce gas or liquid, thus run a internal combustion engine as wood gas was used back a century ago. Fuel from Biomass We come from the land downunder. Vic |
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Grogster Admin Group  Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9306 |
Interesting. Can you elaborate or provide links showing more detail on that idea? Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
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powerednut Senior Member  Joined: 09/12/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 221 |
hmm wood gas gassifier powering a generator maybe? I seem to remember something about plans being available for free due a US gov attempt to deal with the pre-ww2 gas crisis... plenty of examples on youtube. the first one i turned up seems to be powered on wood pellets. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6e3CprVTi8 (please note, i havn't actually watched that yet). oh, that provides a link to the FEMA plans as well: www.mclawsdesign.com/fema.woodgas.pdf |
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| Bryan1 Guru Joined: 22/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1344 |
G'day Guy's, Had a quick chat this morning with my boss about the pellets and we got talking about brickettes so got some thinking to do on that idea. Anyway stripped a 5hp briggs an stratton and got the cam shaft out so tomorrow I will tig weld the new lobes. Once I get the motor back together and going I'll use compressed air to get it running then start planning the boiler build as for the cost of steam it is worth trying out if I can get the motor to power my 4kw motor conversion so I can finally test it. |
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yahoo2 Guru Joined: 05/04/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1166 |
I just bought a 1940's gas producer for a truck at an auction a few weeks ago. Its quite a poor design so I think it will be "display only". I dont want to ruin a perfectly good motor with dirty gas. Hopefully I will have enough time next year to make a working gasifier. I do know that wood pellets are hard on the extruding machinery, on a cheap machine the working parts only last for a few hours compared to months with pelleting grain. That was enough to put me off. I spotted an old saw with a splitter mechanism that was designed to size wood for a gasifier. The chunks come out sized around the 30 to 45 mm range, that seems about right for a good burn in gum and hardwoods. I'm confused, no wait... maybe I'm not... |
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| Bryan1 Guru Joined: 22/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1344 |
G'day Guy's, Well ended up mig welding the new lobes on and machined it up today in my bridgeport mill using my rotary table and I used a set block gauge set at the height of the opposing lobe. 
Next job is installing it back in the motor and taking the head off to look at the mod and make sure it was right. Then I'll make a new inlet plate to suit an air fitting and give it a run with my small air compressor. not sure how the small compressor will hold up so all going well I can take it into work and test. I'll have a go at making a youtube vid where I can put another original cam in to show the 4 stroke then put my mod cam in to show the change. Cheers Bryan Edit: OK tried to put the cam shaft back in and looks like I need to shim up the valves to get the cam installed as the new mod won't install to keep the timing right. I have sent a PM to JW on feildlines on my idea of using a house bottle as the boiler. Now using wood to make a gassifier will be the jewel in this weeks idea to provide gas for the boiler burner then use a uMite to monitor the boiler. Off this idea where using wood chips to make power I have designed a new way to take the equation of cost of charging batteries to a simple level where no cost is needed. |
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| powerednut Senior Member Joined: 09/12/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 221 |
that is going to be the techiest steam engine evar! can't wait to see it. |
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Downwind Guru Joined: 09/09/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2333 |
Bryan, Would a air compressor work? I havent really thought about it, but at first thought one would think it should work backwards. The reason i ask, there is a 3cfm (small single piston one) here doing nothing should it be of use to you. It has a mechanical unloader on it, basically a button to open the valves, as it was originally off a compressor with a petrol motor, which needed the unloader to control air pressure as you can not switch a petrol motor on/off like an electric motor to control pressure. Pete. Sometimes it just works |
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| Bryan1 Guru Joined: 22/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1344 |
G'day Guy's, Had a bit of fun this morning installing the mod cam and got it spoton with the timing. I made a short video 2 stroke mod Damm the audio didn't work so basically on the down stroke the inlet valve is open then a bottom dead centre it closes and on the upstroke the exhaust valve is open. Next jobbie is making a new gasket and the new inlet plate with a 1/4" bsp thread and then I can do a test with air. Cheers Bryan |
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| Bryan1 Guru Joined: 22/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1344 |
G'day Guy's, I made up a 6mm plate with a 1/4"bsp thread then gave the motor a run I will need to machine up a flywheel to help balance the motor. At 60 psi the motor was doing 300rpm and that was the limit off my small compressor. Cheers Bryan |
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MacGyver Guru Joined: 12/05/2009 Location: United StatesPosts: 1329 |
Bryan 1 I've been at the steam / compressed-air engine topic for about 50 years; it's been somewhat of a hobby. FYI on a steam engine, the valve opens INTO the high-pressure steam. You'll note on the 4- or now 2-stroke engine you're using, that the valves likely open away from the inlet power source, whether it be compressed air or steam. Either one will work, but only up to the lifting pressure of the spring operating the poppet valve as the cam overcomes it. If you want REAL POWER, you'll have to redesign that valve OR consider running the traditional (unmodified) gasoline engine on wood gas. I'll come back for an edit and slip in a link to a dandy Youtube presentation, which has a link for a US-government-printed PDF file, telling how to make one of these things. Youtube Link PDF Link . . . . . Mac Nothing difficult is ever easy! Perhaps better stated in the words of Morgan Freeman, "Where there is no struggle, there is no progress!" Copeville, Texas |
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Greenbelt Guru Joined: 11/01/2009 Location: United StatesPosts: 566 |
Hi Bryan1 I'm always interested in Steam and Wood Gas. I have studied Steam Engine design for Rail Locomotives and would like to pass on a tip about valve timing. Most steam/air motors shut the inlet valve at 22-30 Degrees past top center, about 1/4 to one third the down stroke, This allows the steam/air or other compressed Gas to expand before exhausting out at full boiler or tank pressure. Two Thirds of the cylinder volume is saved in the tank on every stroke and the steam does its work. Of course the piston stroke and Bore has a lot to do with the steam cut off point and the Ideal would be steam at atmosphere pressure at bottom of stroke so that all the expansion potential has been used. (Efficiency) This is rarely accomplished. 
Edit; Wayne Kieth Wood Gas Pickup The Fifth one He has built A little Show and Tell His Dodge Dakota pickup has topped 80 MPH. "Google it" on Mother Earth News. Cheers,-----------Roe Time has proven that I am blind to the Obvious, some of the above may be True? |
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| electrondady1 Senior Member Joined: 12/02/2009 Location: CanadaPosts: 208 |
i was also thinking about valve timing but more along the lines of valve overlap would that be present on a briggs? is there lobe separation on a steam engine like there is on supercharged and turbo charged engines? i know you just want to get it to run first but maybe swap out the little exhaust valve and run two same size intake valves for a even volume. you see, i already want to hop it up :)) |
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