Alternate Fuel for Diesel and Gasoline Engines - 100% off the Bowser

[evolvingape]

Hi Everyone,

The process of converting wood biomass into wood chips for fuel is pretty well understood by now. A 4 stroke engine giving us the ability to produce more fuel than is consumed in the process of making it, thus creating a huge surplus of free fuel for the end user. The question is what do we do with this fuel ?

Here is one option:

http://www.stakproperties.com/index.php?p=3_62

A small residential size Pellet Mill powered by a gasoline engine for $2000

The pellets produced become a product to sell and as we can see here they are relatively cheap compared to the mass so perhaps not the best option for making $

http://www.plqpellets.co.uk/products.html

So what is happening in this process ?

Well, we are taking a raw material that has been processed by the Sun and environment and converting it to combustible gas using gasifier technology. This gas is combusted to produce a rotary moment that is then used to run the Pellet Press, creating the end product.

The Pellets are a more highly processed form of Wood Chips, a second stage. This means that they have a higher density volume and therefore a higher energy content than the first stage processed wood chips.

The question you have to ask yourself is whether the second stage processing into a denser, more energy rich form is worth the additional setup cost and mechanical maintenance cost of an additional machine ?

By consuming the second stage pellets you are still creating a rotary moment output, the only difference is the higher energy density means less fuel volume required, however you have introduced additional losses into the system, so will there be that much of a gain ?

The Pellets are easier to sell though as this is what people are looking to buy currently, but once they realise wood chips do the same job as pellets they might become less desirable. Pellets will however "feed" better into the fire tube of the gasifier due to constant controlled dimensions.

So why bother with the stage 2 at all ? You could use the stage 1 rotary moment from the wood chips to do work just as easily. Have a look at the Luton Box Van. A compartment at the front of the box to hold the gasifer, and a massive wood chip hopper above the driver cabin.

Now you would be able to have multiple full size gasifier's, in a sealed compartment in the front of the storage box, with fan venting to atmosphere. An automated fuel feed system to keep you driving for days... the range of this vehicle would be massive! 

RM

[evolvingape]

Hello Everyone,

First off I want to issue a safety warning. The fan website I linked to previously predominantly sells inline fans, this means that the motor is inside the fan housing and is cooled by the air that passes over the motor as it is pumped.

The problem we have with inline fans in this application is that they are not pumping air they are pumping hydrogen and carbon monoxide which are both highly explosive gasses. Any kind of short circuit or sparking or overheating in the motor is going to explode the gasses and blow that plastic inline fan housing to pieces. So do not use them!

A much better option would be a centrifugal blower such as is used to pump up bouncy castles. As you can see in the link below they have the motor mounting at 90 degrees to the impeller and are shaft sealed to gain an IP rating. They also pump a large CFM of air and are cheap as chips and second hand ones are all over ebay

http://www.airinflatables.co.uk/gibbons_fans_090hp_660w_compact_bouncy_castle_fan.shtml

I have also been looking at another option...

I want an all metal vacuum pump that bolts to my EGU and can be powered by a variety of prime movers to offer flexibility. I could not find one off the shelf so I designed one. I really wanted to prototype this first but I did the math and my finances will not cover it so I have drawn it up for you to pursue if you want to. I am determined one day to actually design something I can afford to build!

Ok so lets talk about the Everyman Gasifier Unit Tesla Vacuum Pump...

This unit uses Aluminum Platters from 3.5” Hard Disk Drives as the turbine discs. These can be found everywhere and are very common. Try computer shops who normally chuck them away, the local paper, the local landfill where if you get friendly with the guys who work there and slip them a few quid they might let you have the drives out of the dumped PC's, maybe ebay if you keep your eyes open as sometimes there are job lots of old drives working or faulty and going for about a £ each. Lot's of options here.

Some of the newer drives being sold now use glass platters so avoid these, it's the aluminum you want. Here are some links to read up:

http://www.phys.washington.edu/users/sbtroy/Tesla_Turbine/Tesla_Turbine.html

http://wn.com/tinkerman01

http://hackedgadgets.com/2009/02/27/hard-drive-tesla-turbine/

http://www.ecoenrg.com/2011/06/02/tesla-turbine-from-old-hard-drives-and-minimal-too/

I put the last link up there as an example of what not to do. This person obviously thought it was fun to disrespect a Tesla turbine to such an extent that they spun it up to 22,000 RPM and then held it in their hands. He must have had some serious faith in that yellow tape holding the housing together, either that, or the thought of losing his fingers if something went wrong did not bother him. So let's not go for any Darwin awards while developing this technology

The EGUTVP is based around the same fittings technology as the EGU and so is compatible for airtight sealing and mounting. It only needs a pump shut off valve and a gas flow control valve mounting inline between the EGU and the TVP for a full system.

I have chosen a 2” - 1.25” reducing bush:

http://www.zx55.com/shopexd.asp?id=2395

Because the 1.25” thread will accept a 1.25” parallel nipple. The 1.25” parallel nipple is cut from S40S 1.25” SMLS PIPE and therefore has an ID of 35.05mm as we can see in the link below:

http://www.zx55.com/shopexd.asp?id=5045

This means that the ID is perfect to accept a 35mm OD bearing housing:

http://www.fish4parts.co.uk/Mechanical.80/Bearings.1093/Pop-Metric-Bearings.1/6003_ZZ.C3.99071.html

I have chosen this bearing as it has metal seals and also has a 17mm bore. Two of these bearings mounted in each nipple will provide a very nice unit for mounting the shaft.

The shaft is 0.375” S80S SMLS 316L PIPE with a wall thickness of 3.2mm

http://www.zx55.com/shopexd.asp?id=5089

I have marked on the diagram that the shaft needs to be drilled where the discs are mounted, this is to allow the gas being sucked under vacuum to escape between the discs. Normally I would never suggest using a hollow shaft and then drilling it in a Tesla turbine but in this case the torque loading on the shaft is going to be very low as we are only pumping a very thin gas fluid. Also you can keep the speeds relatively low say 2 â€" 3000 RPM.

Be sensible about where you drill the holes and distribute them around the shaft in a spiral pattern leaving the maximum amount of material possible between each hole. The holes do not have to be that big, they only have to have a combined area that equals the intake hole which in this case is going to be about 10.74mm.

The disc stack is mounted to the hub via a coupling hub:

http://www.fish4parts.co.uk/Mechanical.80/Flexible-Couplings.18/Jaw-%28RFC-%25252F-HRC%29.1851/Hubs-%25252F-Flanges.185101/HRC-90H-%25252F-RFC09-H-Coupling-Hub-%281108%29.73055.html

http://shop.marksman-ind.com/hrc90-drive-hub-taper-lock-style-3495-p.asp

The last link explains the two different types and determines the direction the taperlock bush is inserted to the coupling which is why you want this on the outside of the disc stack for easy access with an allen key to the grub screws.

http://www.fish4parts.co.uk/Mechanical.80/Taper-Lock-Bushes.17/Metric.1701/1108-Taper-Bush-%2817mm-Bore%29.69765.html

The coupling needs to be drilled where the “feet” protrude every 120 degrees to accept the threaded rod that will mount the disc stack in compression. The platter discs must also be drilled on the correct PCD to match the coupling. So three disc mounting bolts in total should be sufficient.

Be careful about what material you choose for the spacers as dissimilar metal corrosion may prove a problem between the aluminum and steels. Heat Resistant RTV Silicone may allow you to make your spacers by casting and you can use a simple washer of the correct dimensions to make a mold, and brass sleeving tubes to make a master mould for a silicone threaded rod sleeve.

The outer housing is a 4” BSPT Barrel Nipple:

http://www.zx55.com/shopexd.asp?id=2191

The barrel nipple is simply drilled in a line to make the exhaust ports for the pump, if you want to get fancy about it then you can drill it then file a rectangular slot.

We can see that the 4” barrel nipple has an ID of 102.26mm:

http://www.zx55.com/shopexd.asp?id=5067

And the 3.5” HDD platter has a diameter of 3.74” or 95mm:

http://www.storagereview.com/guide/mediaSize.html

This will give a disc tip to housing clearance of approx 3.5mm. If you want to reduce the clearance to increase efficiency then you can use a length of 4” stainless steel exhaust tubing:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/4-100mm-T304-Stainless-Steel-Exhaust-Tube-Pipe-1m-/280599509759?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item415508baff

This is because 4” = 101.6mm and the tubing they use for exhausts is 1.5mm wall thickness. This means that you can sleeve inside the 4” barrel nipple very snugly and fill the gap with RTV Heat Resistant Silicone which will set and exert equal pressure therefore centering the tube sleeve and stopping it moving, especially if you score the outside first before inserting to give the silicone something to grip:

http://www.tomps.com/shop/heat-resistant-rtv-05-kg-p-203.html?osCsid=tus7nbsjahsdkmuluunuj9chg4

This will give you an internal housing bore of 101.6 â€" 3 = 98.6

98.6 â€" 95 = 3.6mm

3.6 / 2 = 1.8mm

So the new disc tip to housing clearance is 1.8mm with the sleeving tube which is more efficient than the 3.63mm we get from just the barrel nipple alone.

Make sure you check with the retailer that you are getting 4” tube unless you actually want 100mm tube which will give a 1mm disc tip to housing clearance. The silicone should sort out the gap ok.

The collar converts the 17mm shaft OD to a 28mm OD which will fit the taper lock bush on the pulley:

http://www.bearingboys.co.uk/CABU17Z_-__17mm_Shaft_Collar_-40277-p

http://www.bearingboys.co.uk/1210-28_Taperlock_Bush-2250-p

http://www.bearingboys.co.uk/SPA080_1_V_Pulley-4223-p

Everything that needs locking into place like the parallel nipples, bearings, taper bushes and collars etc needs to be loctited with the high temperature stronger than superman cannot remove it even with napalm stuff! 

That pretty much covers everything I think, hopefully someone will build it and see if works like I think it will. The pulley is going to allow you to use pretty much any prime mover you want, maybe a water wheel for example, or alternatively one of my favourite ideas...

Build a pulley drive train that magnifies the rotary moment by going from big to small with the pulleys and then you might be able to hand crank the EGU into life!

Have fun all

RM

[evolvingape]

Hello Everyone,

I was thinking about hand cranking a vacuum pump to get the gasifier going yesterday, today I am thinking about leg cranking it instead.

A bicycle already has a power transmission and gear system and freewheel assembly built into the frame, so it makes sense that we could connect it to our vacuum pump and pedal.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_gears

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freewheel

So that's how I think you can become fully self sufficient with yourself as the prime mover.

This gets the gasifier system running by applying a vacuum and produces fuel (combustible gas).

And here are some other interesting technologies to read about that apply to turbine operation:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freehub

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overspeed_%28engine%29

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprag_clutch

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centrifugal_governor

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flywheel

For those of you that like simple elegant solutions and fancy a flywheel or two off the shelf:

http://www.kartcomponents.com/discs.php

http://www.kartcomponents.com/axles.php

http://www.kartcomponents.com/axle-equipment.php

You can build an entire system using this kit that will act as either a pump or a turbine and if you want to can get custom laser cut discs to your own specification.

I particularly like the sprocket carrier with the exhaust holes already machined through the hub. This allows you to simply have a circular oversized hole around the shaft and offers the strongest possible configuration for exhaust or inlet ports, and negates the need to cut them in the disc itself.

Now all you need is a turbine housing...

http://chefset.co.uk/index.php?route=product/category&path=111_112

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/catering-suppliers0121/_i.html?_nkw=stainless+steel+casserole+pot&submit=Search&_sid=650307767

And you are well on your way to a custom pump or turbine assembly for very little $

Have fun

RM

[evolvingape]

Hi Everyone,

I forgot to mention that if you strip the Sprags out of a Sprag Clutch and replace the centre hub with a vented Sprocket Carrier Hub and then got yourself some custom discs laser cut, you would only need to mod the casing to accept a fluid injection port 

Add some custom laser cut side plates and some High Temperature Cork Gasket and you have a very high quality turbine unit 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/High-Temperature-Gasket-Material-/230623741858?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item35b23f07a2

Just be mindfull that the Sprocket Carrier Hubs are aluminum and so if you plan on running a Hot Rotor you might need to have them made in Steel instead

RM

[evolvingape]

Hello Everyone,

I have finished the design for the Kelly Kettle conversion. Using exhaust adaptor sleeves and components it should be simple and quick to do.

I have measured my Kelly Kettle and the central chimney tube at the top has an OD of 60mm, and an ID of 57mm. Carefully cut off the rolled over lip and you will be able to clamp a 60mm ID to 57mm ID exhaust adaptor sleeve.

2.25” Exhaust tube has an OD of 57mm so can be tightly fitted to extend down inside the chimney chamber. By using fire sealant on both the tube and the adaptor sleeve before clamping an air tight seal should be formed.

The 2.25” (57mm) Exhaust tube being standard should be easy to connect to a silencer box fuel hopper using a straight or adaptor sleeve depending on your silencer box inlet size preference.

Drill a hole through the kettle's inner wall which is easy to access via the water fill port on the top side of the kettle. Remove the rolled over lip and then you can fit a 47mm ID adaptor sleeve and apply sealant before clamping. Use a length of pipe of desired OD to tap the gas away from the kettle and then attach a suitable bore flexible silicone hose to run the gas to your engine intake.

Drill a round hole in the bottom of the inverted base and fit a BSPP Male Bulkhead (tank connector). Apply sealant and clamp the backnut tight. This will be an additional ash sump and also will allow you to seal it with an end cap. You can now remove the end cap and light the shaker basket directly with a gas torch, once lit just screw the taper end cap back on for an airtight seal.

http://www.flowfitonline.com/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_BSP_MALE_x_BSP_MALE_BULKHEAD_WITH_LOCKNUT_155.html

http://www.valves-online.co.uk/acatalog/Home_BULKHEAD_TANK_CONNECTOR_c_w_BACKNUTS_198.html

Very Simple!

RM