Syn-gas Cooling Tower

[Xero555000]

Just a thought. If you keep the temperature difference as far apart as possible... in other words make the hottest gas touch the coldest water possible. Then you will allow for maximum heat transfer because the heat equation is proportional (in some cases even moreso) to the difference in temperatures of the two interacting bodies. like this k(T1-T2) = Q

[awilson1110]

I wonder how much methanol you guys are losing through cooling the gas.

[Quranite]

If these three problems can be addressed in a convient and accpetable size I think you have an idea and I would buy it if you decided to market it.

[Quranite]

Ok, I have three questions. First is, can the furnace part run on any type of fuel? This becomes more pratical if peole can use chopped leaves, twigs, pinstraw and/or dry agricultural waste to make fuel. When you cool that gas is it essentiall stored in the cooling tower? Is there anyway the cooled gas can be stored for later use, like compression in some sort of tank? Lastly when you cool the gas does all of the water/moisture fall out of the gas as well?

[prairiedf]

Hi Q,

Any biomass fuel will work, but some work a lot better than others. Blocky or pelletized biomass work the best... seems the space between the blocks are needed for gas passage.

Some fuels flow (pellets) and some don't (shredded)... this make the delivery system more complicated.

No gas is 'stored' in the cooling tower. It is designed as a pas-thru system. Gas can be stored in a big bag or balloon, or compressed.

Most moisture and tars condense into liquid, but not all are removed.

Greg

[tamahck]

Ouch... and I forget...

Have you find the cooling tower dirty or not?

Will condensate with ashes or wood particolate make crusting, or remain it clean?

Cheers,

Manu

[prairiedf]

Hi Manu,

Yes, the cooling tower gets dirty, mostly with tars. There is less tar the hotter and faster the gasifier is burned. If the gasifier is burned really hot, eventually too much oxygen is introduced and this consumes the syngas at point of production, creating a blast furnace. One should reduce the air/oxygen input (superficial velocity) below this point.

Cheers,

Greg

[tamahck]

Sorry man,

I am really interested in your process, but don't you think it was better to put the cooling tower up to the gasifier, so tars can condensate and go down in the wood?

Then in the wood can concentrate and maybe make cracking, or not?

Cheers,

Manu

[prairiedf]

Hi Manu,

Interesting thoughts... i suppose this could work as you suggest. One problem is that our collection bucket, the barometric trap, if filled with water. this would make it really difficult to try your suggestion.

Thanks,

Greg

[prairiedf]

Hi XCritonX,

The cooling tower is not about heating water, but rather cooling syngas. We never let the water get above 100F. This stage of heat capture is relatively insignificant.

The syngas would certainly provide enough heat to run any external heat engine; stem or sterling. There will be some tars, but that may not be a concern, as some will burn during the combustion of the syngas and some may collect on the boiler. My feeling is syngas would work fine for SEs.

Cheers,

Greg

[XCritonX]

Would you need a cooling tower if you used the gas to heat water for a steam engine? How hot does the water get? Is it sufficient to run a steam engine? How about a sterling engine?

[Ventonator]

This part isn't necessary is it? It's just to make it cleaner and easier, right?

[MMCmedMD]

Hi Ventonator,

It is necessary to cool and clean the gas of tar, if you are planning on powering an internal combustion engine.

Cooling causes the tars to condense out of vapor form and cooling also concentrates the btu content of the syngas.

Cheers,

Greg

[potlickerflat]

Do you sell plans or are ypu going to do a detailed version of how you built #2. The ash crank, is the bearing on the bottom a love joy or standard?

[mytickets]

If we hook up a stirling engine to the gasifier the it could run the fan with a v belt !! And gen set!

Very nice

I need Plans so i can build one!!

[VolkgartenBySquirrel]

I like seeing farm gadgets in action! That coil roller was great! Have you experimented with a packed tower washer; the syngas feed let in at the bottom is "washed" by water cascading over the tower packing (rocks, glass rubble, charcoal) and the rising gas cooled as it is taken at the top, and the warmed water taken for cooling and recirculation at the bottom. The gas comes in several inches above the liquid barrier (great idea, that bucket!) and the water leaves from the bottom of the bucket.

[JAROSLAVAGINA]

i think you should have put a baffle up the center of the cooling tower, so that hot gas has to rise all the way up to the top, and then fall back down on the other side as it cools.

all and all pretty cool stuff.

[prairiedf]

Thanks,

Sure do, but there's a lot of great info out there now too. It's difficult to assimilate it all and then institute it in our projects.

I think YouTube and videos like this help a lot quick, effective exchange of information.

Cheers,

Greg

[frenchcreekvalley]

Very informative demonstration and nice plan for the video itself. sounds like a good idea for cooling the gas. I assume there's an engine behind the plywood. Can it's intake vacuum  suck water out of the pail?

Pete Stanaitis

[prairiedf]

Hi Pete,

Thanks for the comments.

The cooling tower seems to be working great.

We haven't hooked up an engine to the new system yet, but have run about 15 hp capacity thru the system sucked by the fan. The water level is pulled down in the bucket about a 9/16" when the fan is turned on. At some point the amount of suction could overcome the trap effect, but we don't expect it to happen even when operating the gasifier at its peak 30hp capacity.

-Greg

[msamour]

Thanks guys, for the video. I am not awae of what syn gas is but i will research it for sure. The cooling coil setup did give me an idea for something that I might use in the future though. Keep up the good work.

[ontheearthproduction]

What valuable information. I look forward to your videos. Oh, nice camera work too.

k