Why gasification? Good question. With the price of gas at an all time low, why would anyone invest time and energy into extracting fuel from dead vegetation? Well for me the answer is quite simple. I enjoy fire. Whether it is cooking steaks or hamburgs over the fire or just sitting around the fire (and don't forget the wood stove in the living room) I have always enjoyed the reward of building a good old fashioned fire. Now it seems that there is a new incentive for me to continue my pursuit of controlled fire building. That incentive is wood gasification!
Endless possibilities? Yes! imagine, if you will, all of the things that are done today with gasoline, diesel, propane, fuel oil etc. with a fair amount of effort and a lot of conversing you can convert many of your daily requirements over to wood gasification. It seems as though everyone who is currently engaged in this pursuit has a slightly different expectation of what this endeavor should bring them. The results vary from powering a small generator to running a tractor. The sky is the limit. All you have to do is pick an application and get started.
How? The first step would be to talk to someone who has already built a gasifier. It will help with your confidence to speak with someone who has done this before. Another step would be to research the idea. There are literally thousands of these things being built all over the world as you are reading this story. One of my friends from the South end pointed out that if you are in a jam and need help go to Youtube. Seemed kind of funny coming from the Southsider but they do have internet down there and he was right.
F.E.M.A. has a pretty good entry level approach on building your own unit. Their plans are free. In fact most plans are. By using your favorite search engine you will gain all of the information necessary to start you on your way, should you desire to do so. Here is a list of wood gasifier designs. https://www.google.com/search?q=quite&i ... er+designs and here is a really good story about a Good Ole Boy from Alabama named Wayne Keith who has built several units and will probably build several more. http://www.motherearthnews.com/green-tr ... mzroc.aspx
In conclusion I would like to emphasize that in no way will our hobby put a damper on the current sales of fuel here on the island. I would also like to put in a plug for my favorite gas station on Beaver Island, Island Energies! It is my hope that we will always be able to easily fill our tanks and get jumbo bags of Peanut M&M's in one quick stop. If anyone would like to talk about this or any energy solving idea you can e-mail me at... wait, I don't have a e-mail address anymore, you can look me up. A few of us are contemplating having a public discussion after the weather breaks. I figure this might be a way to good way to stay busy during the off season. Thanks for reading, Eric
