UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING
State of the art report for small scale (to 50 kw) gas producer -- engine systems
Based on a literature search of over 1,200 publications (most concerning work done prior to 1950), a review of over 600 papers obtained through the search, and 130 responses to questionnarires sent to 400 institutions in 63 countries worldwide, this state-of-the-art report details small gas producer engine systems (GPES"s) currently in operation, manufacturers of off-the-shelf equipment, the technical feasibility of installing new systems in developing countries, constraints and difficulties related to gasification, and research conducted at the University of California at Davis on gasification of wood and crop residue.
Kaupp, A.; Goss, J. R. · 1981
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Abstract
Topics include a history of small GPES"s, the chemistry of gasification, fuel for small and medium fixed bed gas producers, conditioning of producer gas, the latter"s application in internal combustion and diesel engines, and the economics of GPES"s. Although over 1 million small GPES"s were in operation before and after World War II, the design and construction of GPES"s is today a lost art. Despite the growing interest in gasification, there is a lack of functional units and off-the-shelf equipment, and probably only four or five companies worldwide are capable of delivering a small GPES within a reasonable time span. The most promising candidates for small-scale GPES"s are crop and wood processing industries with waste recyclable for fuel. Low speed engines, such as the Humphrey pump, could use gas for fuel. The two most likely scenarios for introducing small GPES"s into developing countries are: (1) providing a complete system manufactured by an industrialized country, or (2) manufacturing these systems in a developing country for its own use. Although the second scenario is considered preferable, the first is more likely in the near term. Recommendations include reviewing 1930-50 data on small units; relating fuel to country conditions, with possible use of plentiful biomass fuels (nutshells, fruit pits, corncobs, rice husks); limiting fuel processing to drying; and delaying introduction of large units. It is also recommended that prototype design and testing be done at established institutions or under expert supervision in Third World countries. References total 252 items in English, German, and Swedish (1906-81).
