New idea for thread: Wood gas generators
 

I apprenticed under a Danish electrician from Vijle, Denmark who began his apprenticeship during WWII. He had many stories of hardships during the war, mostly tales of lack of food and fuel. One of his duties as an apprentice was to fire up the wood gas generator on his boss's car every morning so he and the Journeymen electricians could drive to work. After firing up the wood gas generator, he and the other apprentices would load the tools and materials onto a hand drawn cart and pull it to the jobsite...and they better not be late! The wood gas generator provided fuel for those unable to purchase petrol then and may become a future source of fuel again if oil prices continue to climb. Here are two pictures of wartime use of wood gas generators, first pic is of a Dutch milk truck in Arnhem, the second is of an American farm tractor. Derek.

Great subject, find some info here.

H.

All AWM. Photo 1 3 ton producer - gas

another 4 from the AWM taken in Melbourne 1940. A ute and other vehicles with experimental gas producers fitted

Great pictures Cliff, it's interesting to see the diiferent methods of engineering the same concept around the world. I've uploaded a picture of a Kubel that runs on wood gas.

CHIMO! Derek.

Kurth kiln Melbourne
 

Gembrook in the Dandenongs , Melbourne has a annual festival based around the WW2 charcoal kiln built there. The liln is still there under a heritage order.

http://home.vicnet.net.au/~fofkk/The...%20Friends.htm

Mike

For your information hereby a diagram from the "Imbert Holzgas-anlage".
In western Europe the company Imbert was well known for their woodgas generators.
I have a 8mm film taken in my hometown in the years 1940-1945 and all civilian operated trucks in that movie have this woodgas generator installed just behind the drivers cabin.
Besides producing gas, another by-product from the proces was tar, which obstructed the system regularly.
Removing the tar was a very time-consuming and dirty business.

Translation from the German words in the diagram:

I. Gasgenerator
II. Sedimentation-separator.
III. Gas cooler
IV. After-cleaner (polisher)
V. Starting fan
VI. Control unit


Marco