Woodgas Cars in Low Tech Magazine

Comment

Comment by Chris Seymour on January 28, 2010 at 7:20pm

Great comment, Steve!

Comment by Steve Unruh on January 28, 2010 at 5:06pm

Dutch John had posted this article on a Forum I read. Very balanced comprehensive article with it's electric car comparison. If you read it and the lower comments there you will see that he believes bulk raw woodgas fueling is best suited for a stationary motor-generator application. His car project like others is to generate interest. Like Ben and many others I believe either pre-processed compressed and/or liquified fuels are the realistic way to go to get the energy density needed for mobile usage.
I really do like this Low Tech magazine approach. Be forty years now I've been involved with small alt-energy projects and people.
Driven mini vehicles most that time with 1200-2000CC engines and bicycled even more. This is very dangerous here in the US with the speeds, drunken, drugged, cellphone distracted drivers and the vehicle densities. I've had three of those vehicles total loss destroyed. And been knocked off the bike three times. Each time with injuries. I remember others who died. So here I now on the public roads I do put 4000 pounds of engineered armor around me and my loved ones with 2700-3300 CC engines and do my part by simply driving slower, driving less. As an associated article in that same magazine says doing this requires no Top Down Government Initiatives, massive Industry support, or billions of dollars of $$$ in infra-structure changes or millions of hours in trying to change peoples attitudes. Try it. You will find me kicked back now living the good life over in the slow lane. When this need for speed demon culture finally burns out then I too do have a 6000 pound 5000 CC pickup like Dave Nichols so I could wood fuel up and and just keep on rolling.
Would take ~2.5 lbs/ 1 kilo of my wood a mile to fuel though. A single 20 mile trip to town would consume the equivalent of two-three days winter heating wood or two-three days of self generated home power.
No sense stressing my 20 acres of trees before I have too.

Regards
SteveU.

Comment by ben on January 27, 2010 at 6:36pm

I forgot to give Unruh credit for bringing this one to our attention. Thanks Steve!

Comment by Dennis B Brown on January 27, 2010 at 5:00pm

Now this is cool how far u get on fill up?