How to light up a GEK biomass gasifier

This project shows ignition instructions for the Open Source Gasifier Experimenter's Kit (GEK) from ALL Power Labs. It is part of a series of instructables related to the GEK.

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You've now completed fabrication, assembled all the pieces together, so now comes the fire. Here's what you need to do to start making gas.

Before you start, and whenever you run a gasifier, please remember the following . . .

Warning: A gasifier is a dangerous thermo-chemical device. Like most useful tools, it will do damage if used incorrectly. A gasifier purposely generates carbon monoxide and other dangerous volatile organic gases as an interim step before complete combustion of the gas in a flare or engine. Acute exposure to carbon monoxide can be harmful or fatal. Engines like carbon monoxide. Humans do not. Carbon monoxide is colorless, odorless, and will quickly colonize your hemoglobin, leaving no sites left for oxygen to land. Exposure to other VOCs is similarly problematic. (In short, it is somewhat like smoking cigarettes, just exponentially worse.)

So dont be an idiot. Always use a gasifier outdoors, and with extensive ventilation. Always stay out of the smoke and/or produced gas before it is combusted. Know that this is NOT typical campfire smoke. Do NOT treat it as if it were. The carbon monoxide concentrations in gasifier gas are higher than in other "smokes". You can get in trouble quickly, usually before you realize it. SO STAY OUT OF GASIFIER GAS AT ALL TIMES.

Always have a fast reacting carbon monoxide meter in the area where you are working. Ideally, hang one on a tether around your neck. Carbon monoxide meters are available at more hardware stores in the smoke detector section.

Step 1 What you need

Here are the things you will need to start the GEK

1. Charcoal. Real charcoal, like mesquite BBQ charcoal. Or left over charcoal from your fireplace. Not pressed charcoal briquettes.

2. Propane Torch: One is minimum. Two is better.

3. Insulation material: a bag of perlite, ash or charcoal fines to fill insulating annular ring in reactor.

Comments

[admin]

This project looks awesome but there isn't enough documentation of you actually making it to be a full Instructable. There are two things which you could do. 1) If you happen to have images of you making your project you can create some more steps, add those additional photos into your Instructable and then republish your Instructable. 2) If you don't have any more pictures of you working on your project, that's ok too. That just means that your project is better suited to be submitted as a slideshow. Your images are already in your library, and you can use the same text that you have already written for your Instructable so it should only take a few minutes to create your slideshow and show the world what you made! Thanks for your submission and let me know if you have any questions along the way.

[admin]

This is a great Instructable, but you need to add a main image of the final project to the intro step. Please do that and leave me a message when you have so that we can publish your work. Thanks!

[jimmason]

i fixed it.

[boltfox20]

This is a great idea, albeit an old one. The only problem left to solve is a cosmetic one. Is there a similar system you can use that will fit into your trunk and not stick out where it is in the way of the rear window? Laws in a lot of areas require you to be able to see out your back window, especially when using your rear-view mirror, and this would create a lot of blind spots. So, apart from how this might affect the engine, can you make it fit in the trunk?