Gasifier Experimenters Kit
The Gasifier Experimenter's Kit (GEK) is an downdraft gasifier system manufactured by ALL Power Labs of Berkeley, California, USA. It is a device used to produce a synthetic fuel through a chemical conversion of wood or other biomass materials where the synthetic fuel can then be used to power internal combustion engines. Since the GEK is an open source design, all schematics related to its construction are freely available. The GEK is a variation of the Imbert style gasifier and it tries to improve upon some of the limitations of the Imbert design. One key feature included is an air preheating system, which in the gasification process, alters the break down of tars generated during combustion. The GEK is also one of only a few commercially available gasifier systems.
Description
The GEK is an Georges Imbert type (nozzle and constricted hearth) gasifier. It is sized to run between a 5 and 50 HP engine. It is a vessel inside of a vessel configuration where the inner vessel or reactor is contained within an insulating ring. The insulating ring is intended to contain the heat during pyrolysis and combustion and focus the heat where it is needed during the gasification process. The GEK also uses a modular design where the various parts (burner, hearth, etc.) are built using a cylinder and flange model to easily facilitate changes to parts.
The GEK is based upon many standards. The GEK can be mostly assembled using many standard plumbing parts and standard scrap tanks found commonly in the United States. The outer gas cowling is 14.75 inches, the outter burner (insulating tank) is 12 inches, and the inner burner is 10 inches . The plumbing parts are numerous but are mostly of the black iron and schedule 40 variety.
A cyclone and packed bed filter system make up the filtration side of the GEK. The cyclone collects water vapor and some solids in output stream while the packed bed filter traps remaining solids that have made it through the process. Water and solids that were caught in the cyclone are then removed from a jar at the bottom of the cyclone.
Variations
- GEK 0.7 => J-Tube style air preheating system
- GEK 0.8 => Stainless Steel Flexible tubing air preheating system
- GEK 0.9 => Stacked Cyclone and Packed Bed filter
- GEK 1.0 =>
- GEK 1.1 =>
- GEK 2.0 => Dual Channel manometer and temperature sensing
- GEK 2.2 => Stainless Steel reduction bell and tar fence
See also
- Gasification
- Producer gas
- Syngas
- Biochar