Friday, July 10, 2015

Mountain Gas





DIY        







This is just the g'damdist thing I ever seed!   I just stumbled upon Mountain Menthis episode.  The whole thing is so compelling that I'm recording the series, and watched 5 yesterday. But here's what blew my mind.  The gasifier.  Here's what blows my mind more:
Wood gasifiers can power either spark ignition engines, where 100% of the normal fuel can be replaced with little change to the carburation, or in a diesel engine, feeding the gas into the air inlet that is modified to have a throttle valve, if it didn't have it already. On diesel engines the diesel fuel is still needed to ignite the gas mixture, so a mechanically regulated diesel engine's "stop" linkage and probably "throttle" linkage must be modified to always give the engine a little bit of injected fuel (Often under the standard idle per-injection volume).
Wood can be used to power cars with ordinary internal combustion engines if a wood gasifier is attached. This was quite popular during World War II in several European, African and Asian countries because the war prevented easy and cost-effective access to oil. In more recent times, wood gas has been suggested as a clean and efficient method to heat and cook in developing countries, or even to produce electricity when combined with an internal combustion engine. (Wikipedia)
How the hell did I live this long without even hearing about this?  Or, even worse, what if it turns out that I once built one myself?  Ahem. I'll guess that a goodly number of you were way ahead of me on the gasifier, and on Mountain Men too.  All the characters are something else, but Tom is the one who fills me with the most wonderment about his skill and determination.  And he lives with a good woman, too.  I think RAK could qualify for inclusion in this series.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have been watching this series since it aired some time ago. This is a good show. Wouldn't miss one if I just do have to do so. Like you, Tom is the best in my opinion.

Anonymous said...

Just like Red Green, only different.
Tim

Anonymous said...

Yep, my wife and I both wish we were Tom's neighbor. He is just such a likeable guy. -Anymouse

Anonymous said...

Have you every closely watched a wood fire? You can sometimes see gas jetting out of the end grain, a flame burning an inch from the wood, the wood still unscorched. That's the stuff. Roast wood and it gives off that gas that will burn like propane.

AWM

Anonymous said...

Check out Chip and Agnes Hailstone on "Life below Zero."

Helly said...

1. How the hell did I live this long without even hearing about this?

There was coal gasification for "city gas" too, but fluidizing solid fuel for remote ignition was never "popular" or efficient. It's just stupid. You never heard about it because WikiP makes this stuff up.

2. Science fun fact: Solid fuels can't burn. Only thing that burns are the gases given off from the pyrolyze fuel.

3. The Industrial Revolution thrived on steam power because pyrolyzing coal and burning its flammable gases in the same combustion chamber works great.

4. More interesting: Distilling turpentine from pine pitch.

iOpener said...

My German dad long ago told me about wood gasification during WWII. He said lots and lots of cars were powered by it.

Snazzy photo at http://krisdedecker.typepad.com/.a/6a00e0099229e888330120a7d21beb970b-pi

Hodja said...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kw7rJMNqk4o

Anonymous said...

Oh gawd, don't you people know that all of this reality TV is total scripted bullshit? Except for the gold mining show. That one is real.

Casca

Anonymous said...

"Scripted"?? You mean somebody actually gets PAID to write this crap??

Phil N. LeBlanc

Anonymous said...

VW Bugs had wood gas generators in the front of the car instead of gas tanks, back in the 1930's

Anonymous said...

'Been watchin' this. Ol' Tom, smokin' his buffalo hide...the narrator says it's 15º below and there's Tom in his stupid cowboy hat, with nothin' coverin' his ears? Gimme a break. At 10º above I need to protect my ears and nose.

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