2010 Off Gridder Release
By · CommentsPow! Here it is.
Lots of great improvements over 3.1.
- Larger size
- Heavier gauge flanges
- Baghouse filter for fine particulate filtration
- Heat exchange base shell
- Increased cooling
- Membrane filter for water removal from gas stream
- Super awesome blower motor with 20,000 hour bearing life
- Automated agitators standard
- Optional automated auger feeder
With this new platform we can boldly go into the liquid fuel synthesis realm and take gasification to the next level, while still maintaining a price point that competes with the outdoor wood boiler market in North America and makes biomass energy an affordable reality for developing nations. Researchers will enjoy the clean, quality stainless construction and ease of operation.
The napkin test
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Here is a quick way of testing your gas quality with a napkin. The Off Gridders filtration system uses organic filter media (wood chips or charcoal) and the passive condensing scrub of the venturi scrubber to clean the gas steam.
Blower motor
By · CommentsHere is a quick video of the new blower motor pulling a whopping 20″ of water column. This thing is a beast! This will enable us to fill gas storage membranes and force feed smaller engines.
Off Gridder 3.2 sneak peak
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Here is a peak at the 2010 Off Gridder next to the 2009 model. Lots of cool improvements. Here are some.
- Larger hopper standard
- 3/16″ thick wide flanges
- Chunk agitator
- Easy bolt in hearth reducers
- Tri-configurable grate
- Optional: hot air heat exchanger for chip drying
- Optional: new control panel
- New cooling tubes
- Optional: blower motor
- Larger gas tubes
etc.
The roadmap that the Off Gridder will be following is:
Engine package, automation and storeable fuel. With the beefier platform we can now begin Fischer Tropsch research. Workday automation, external hoppers, steam injection and liquid heat exchangers will be available options later in the year, though they will push the price beyond reach of many homeowners.
The best blend of both fuel economy and ease of operation and maintenance is still batch feeding. To get electricity and heat over 12 hour cycles the solution would really be the gas storage membranes we blogged about earlier in the year. Then run smaller water cooled engines from the stored gas and derive heat from the engines waste heat much like the Honda micro CHP. Our new blower motor makes it possible to run independent of an engine. This opens up opportunities to run much smaller engines on stored gas.
With the addition of the heated air exchanger option it now makes it possible for us to use forced air drying of the large amount of wood chips needed for workday (8-12) runs. People with no gasification experience often get caught up in the idea that they need to run all day but never account for the shear volume of wood or the ever larger task of drying that wood most of the year. While I can’t grow wood for people, a relatively inexpensive chipper is in the works and the heat exchanger will handle the drying.
I have a few more things in the works. We will see if we can get them in the release at the end of the month. Thanks for being apart of the journey.
Blower motor
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How long have we all looked for the perfect blower motor for a gasifier? Its been nothing short of searching for the Holy Grail.
I’ve built them, bought them and even designed them out, but a good blower is invaluable, especially when it’s time to fill rubber membranes for gas storage or doing Fischer Tropsch experiments.
A good blower motor should have:
- Long life
- Quiet operation
- High suction capacity
- Low power consumption
- Good balance
- Simple wiring & maintenance
The blower I am testing as a 3.2 release accessory pulls a whopping 18″-20″ water column. Has bearings rated for 20,000 hour life. Operates more quietly than a vacuum cleaner. Consumes 500-800 watts. You can use it for suction or pressure feed. And the big winner is that it has flanges built in standard.
So far I am very impressed. It’s not a cheap motor, but that hasn’t stopped me from trying to destroy it. No luck yet. When I get a free moment I will make a video.
