Power Pallet Operation Manual - GEK Wiki
Contents
1. ALL POWER LABS GASIFIER EXPERIMENTERS KIT Power Pallet Operation Manual Rev 2 2 Updated 070210 Page 1 ALL POWER LABS GASIFIER EXPERIMENTERS KIT Table of Contents I Safety ID Running the Power Pallet 1 GEK Preparation 2 Start the GEK 3 Testing 4 Wiring 5 Run the Engine 6 Create Power IV Shutting Down the System V Communicating with the GCU VI Maintenance 1 Gasifier 2 Engine I Safety The purpose of gasification is to intentionally create H2 20 and CO 20 which are the two main gas eous fuels that drives the chemistry of this technology This chemistry works by reaching the combustion tem peratures of wood around 1200C To minimize any risks we have engineered the GEK to create producer gas in a negative pressure closed on demand system Before running a gasifier please remember the following Review the health guidelines of carbon monoxide http www osha gov SLTC healthguidelines carbonmonox ide A gasifier can be a dangerous thermo chemical device Like most useful tools it will do damage if used in correctly A gasifier purposely generates carbon monoxide and other dangerous volatile organic gases as an interim step before combustion of the gas in a flare or engine Carbon monoxide is colorless odorless and will quickly colonize your hemoglobin leaving no sites left for oxygen to naturally attach Acute exposure to car bon monoxide can be harmful or fatal Exp2. b The Hand off from Flare to Engine This section assumes that testing has been performed to find the optimal temperature vacuum range in which the system will produce a clean producer gas given the biomass characteristics used for the run If you introduce tarry wood gas into your engine it will damage your engine by sticking the intake valve s and piston rings To ensure this does not happen use dry biomass make sure that you are within the proper temperature and pressure range in the reactor double check seals on the gasifier and make sure filters are not spent The Hand off 1 Make sure the flare is steady in the swirl burner The flare should be down inside the swirl burner with the flame terminating before reaching the top of the burner 11 If you have hooked up propane to the ejector venturi line make sure that the valve and tank are OFF The wood gas flare should be sustained with out supplementing other fuels Page 9 ALL POWER LABS GASIFIER EXPERIMENTERS KIT e Manual Mixture Control 111 Open the engine valve and close the ejector venturi gas valve iv Crank the engine engine as soon as possible Warning When the gas valve to the ejector venturi is turned off and before the engine has been turned on the wood gas could potentially come out of the air pre mix valve Be aware v The engine will start when the air has been purged from the system and the correct air to wood gas ratio 1s being offered to the engine
3. The air pre mix valve will need to be near closed to deliver a richer mixture at first then slowly opened while cranking the engine At some point in this slow opening you will cross the correct mixture point and the engine will fire As the engine starts to run the air pre mix valve may need to be adjusted to provide the optimal air to fuel ratio The air pre mix valve position for the correct mixture will vary with engine speed and load as well as gas quality coming from the reactor vi Close the compressed air valve to the ejector venturi e Automated Mixture Control 111 Turn the Gasifier Control Unit GCU on and make sure the servo controlled air pre mix valve is operation al iv At the same time open the engine valve close the air pre mix valve close the ejector venturi gas valve and close the compressed air valve to the ejector venturi v Crank the engine The engine may need to be cranked for a few seconds to purge the air from the system Al low the starter to cool briefly if you need to crank for a longer period of time vi Once gas reaches the engine the oxygen sensor will detect the exhaust mixture and the readout on the oxy gen sensor display should drop below 21 7 and the servo valve will adjust the valve to find the correct stoichio metric mixture and maintain constant operation The automated mixture control will provide the optimal air to fuel ratio with variability of engine engine speed and load as well as gas qual
4. minimum of 4 cfm at 80psi The air compressor is only used upon start up and shut down of the GEK wuMnade oe es Page 6 ALL POWER LABS GASIFIER EXPERIMENTERS KIT b Ignition of the GEK Be sure to start with dry biomass no more than 10 moisture content by dry weight Between the charcoal raw biomass layer pour in a 1 2 cup of diesel fuel You may use other liquid fuels such as kerosine biodiesel ethanol methanol gasoline etc WARNING Liquid fuels with lower partial pressures will start to evaporate fumes could become explosive this is why diesel and kerosene are recommended above the more volatile fuels with quicker combustion rates Make sure the container of fuel is well away from the GEK while lighting and during operation While we have done this with great success in the past USE CAUTION and USE AT YOUR OWN RISK It is easiest to light with a propane torch about an inch from the ignition port inlet so as to provide oxygen for the propane There are many other methods of lighting such as throwing a lit rag into the reactor on top of the charcoal layer and establishing the combustion zone before adding raw biomass on top Make sure that the air is flowing into the reactor to be careful of potential back fire Ignition has been shown to be possible with just a propane torch with lower flows leading to faster initial ignition Recommended reactor pressure reading 1 H20 during ignition Watch the thermocoupl
5. moisture content lt 15 dry weight we have found that 4 H20 is the about the minimum for extended running The temperature readings on the GCU depicted below TOO thermocouple is typically the top of the reduction bell and TO1 refers to the bottom of the reduction thermo couple reading The thermocouples for TO2 TO5 in the picture below are located in various places for experi mentation purposes 2e 2 22 4S ga 25 au Ma 19 43 i ms 9 4 Shh X Lt 967 T L Li eee D i Page 8 ALL POWER LABS GASIFIER EXPERIMENTERS KIT 4 Wiring a Generator Head We are currently using an ST Type synchronous AC generator Consult the ST Generator Operation and Mainte nance Manual lt http www utterpower com ST_manual pdf gt b Battery You will need to purchase a typical 12v DC car battery with lug type terminals For Kholer engine based gensets Kholer recommends using a car battery capable of 400 cold cranking amps cca minimum Connect the two lug connections to the battery The red wire will be connected to the positive lead and the black wire to the negative lead on the battery 5 Run the Engine a Tension the Belt Loosen the large clamping bolts on the engine Tighten the belt tensioning mechanism until the belt is tensioned properly Tighten the large engine clamping bolts to secure the engine into place Make sure the lagging side of the belt is not loose when the genset is under load
6. need to access the bottom of the filter stand off grate this is the location where most of the tars condense The filter media could be mixed into the bulk of the feedstock Because the suggested sawdust filter media will typically be entrained with water and is below the suggested feedstock diameter mix the filter media into the feedstock below 10 Page 12 ALL POWER LABS GASIFIER EXPERIMENTERS KIT c Ash Grate If the gas flow rate seems low the ash grate may need to be cleared Open the grate door on the side of the reac tor to access the ash grate Clear out charcoal and reattach the door 2 Engine We are currently using an Aegis Kohler engine We recommend checking the oil and the air filter after shutdown of the unit For further assistance consult the Kohler engine service manual lt http www kohleren gines com manuals landing htm gt 1 Check oil 11 Check air filter Make sure the filter is not clogged 111 Check the spark plugs Support If you have any questions or need help with your system contact us at gek allpowerlabs org Page 13
7. e readings from the bottom and top of the reduction bell As the temperature increases to 100C any water in the system will turn into steam and escape through the burner Anywhere in the range of 200 500 C typically less than 1 3 minutes the gas will be combustible this will depend on the type of liquid fuel you used to start Keep a pilot flame ex a second propane torch to help burn off the smoke on start up There is also a port on the 1 2 plumbing T on the ejector which is intended for a propane connection to ensure a clean safe start up d Controlling the Flare After a few minutes you will be able to turn off the propane pilot flame for the flare Adjust the oxygen mixture on the flare to transition from a propane to woodgas flare this is the 3 4 valve on the ejector venturi Impor tant Keep the pilot light handy In the case that flare extinguishes it will need to be relit quickly Remember do not breathe the gas when it is unburned After it is burned it is very clean Page 7 ALL POWER LABS GASIFIER EXPERIMENTERS KIT Notice As the air pre mix valve is closed the flare will rise upward out of the burner as it requires more oxygen for a complete combustion In this case there may not be enough oxygen to competely combust the gas allow ing the hydrogen and carbon monoxide to be released As the air pre mix valve is opened the flare will lower into the burner In this case all of the wood gas is allowed to combust bef
8. e sure the tip of the thermocouple is touching the far end of the protecting tube so that it is inside the constriction of the hearth Be sure to secure and protect the thermocouple on the side of the reactor so that it is not in the way of the flow of biomass Be sure to seal up the port so that no air is able to enter Bottom of reduction temperature The cap on the 1 2 plumbing T of the manometer is the thermo couple port for the bottom of the reduction bell A thermocouple at this location will clear the bottom of the reaction chamber inside the gas cowling Be careful when placing a thermocouple at this location If the thermocoule seems to jam move it around a little so that it will slide in between the gas lines that are attached to the bottom of the reactor Place the thermocouple 1 from the inside the edge of the reduction bell any further can block the flow of charcoal in this region Page 3 ALL POWER LABS GASIFIER EXPERIMENTERS KIT ii Manometer Fill up the manometer with water up to the zero mark Colored fluid may be added to the manometer so that it is more visible as long as the resulting fluid is the same density of water Make sure there are no bubbles in the manometer tube If this occurs disconnect the end of the tubing from the reactor and or filter port temporarily so that the bubbles can escape b Insulation Fill the space between the inner wall of the reactor and the stainless steel insert wi
9. ervo valve should be in its closed position VI Maintenance 1 GEK Gasifier Warning Remember the system is full of hydrogen and carbon monoxide Purge the system of wood gas before any maintenance is done on the gasifier Any maintenance should be conducted outside or in a highly ventilated area 1 Before doing any maintenance on the gasifier wait until the reactor has completely cooled to room tempera ture Refer to the temperature reading from the internal thermocouples Warning Opening the GEK gasifier before allowing it to cool could allow enough air across existing hot charcoal which could re start combustion inside the reactor 11 Open the top of the hopper 111 Open the gas valve to the ejector venturi Warning If the temperatures in the reactor start to increase the reactor will need to cool off further until there is no more activation energy left to re light the reactor iv Open the valve to the compressed air Vacate the area or allow the gas to escape well above the operating level until the wood gas has been completely purged through the system and allowed to dissipate If you have propane hooked up to the ejector light the flare and burn the wood gas a Filter A pressure reading between the reactor and filter exceeding a difference of 4 H20 or more is indicative of clogged or spent filter media To change the filter remove the lid of the drum filter and disconnect the gas inlet line at the bottom You will
10. fly valve under closed loop PID control The Bosch wideband sensor controller LC 1 outputs a 0 5V signal which is read via an analog input on the GCU This valve is input into the PID controller which provides a response to changing mixture by smoothly opening and closing the air intake valve as needed The PID loop is always in operation when the GCU is on The oxygen sensor reading is also output on a digital display within the GCU enclosure A reading of 14 7 on the display indicates a stoichiometric mixture higher values indicate a lean mixture more air than gas needed and lower values indicate a rich mixture more gas than air needed Page 11 ALL POWER LABS GASIFIER EXPERIMENTERS KIT The oxygen sensor should always be on when running the engine to avoid damage to the sensor The gauge is wired to the Internal Power bus and will be on when the GCU is switched on As the sensor warms up the LED next to the gauge will flash and in a few seconds the gauge should provide a read out If there are errors with the sensor the LED will continue to blink If this occurs consult the Operation and Maintenance Manual of the LC 1 Wide band Oxygen Sensor Controller lt http www innovatemotorsports com support manual LC 1_Man ual pdf gt Operation of the PID loop can be proved by exposing the sensor to uncombusted propane When exposed the valve should close When the engine is off or not started the display should read 21 7 and the s
11. ity coming from the reactor c Set RPM Voltage Adjust the RPM of the engine until the generator output is 60Hz or 50Hz and 120V or 220V IV Shutting Down the System 1 When shutting down the system switch the wood gas back over to the burner 11 Close the engine valve while turning off the engine open the gas valve to the ejector venturi open the air compressor valve and adjust the air pre mix valve while keeping the pilot light over the burner to ensure igni tion of the flare 111 Over the course of about 5 10 minutes slowly turn down the compressed air valve while adjusting the air pre m1x valve to keep the flare lit at lower and lower flow rates iv When the gas is no longer able to sustain a flare close the gas valve to the ejector venturi place the 1 cap on the air inlet of the reactor and close the valve to the air compressor Page 10 ALL POWER LABS GASIFIER EXPERIMENTERS KIT V Communicating with the GCU The GCU is a flexible platform for control and automa tion of the Power Pallet With it various components can be controlled and automated including grate shak ing mixture control pressure and temperature monitor ing and alarms etc Gasifier Control Unit GCU Operation Manual lt http gekgasifier pbworks com Gasifier Control Unit gt 1 Automation a Air Mixture Control The ratio of wood gas and air is controlled with a Bosch wideband oxygen sensor and servo actuated butter
12. ore exiting the burner This ensures a complete and clean combustion Notice When the air pre mix valve is opened the suction from the ejector venturi is divided between the reac tor and air pre mix valve This will lower the total vacuum across the reactor and vice versa as indicated on the manometer reading Make sure that the reactor is kept in range of the proper pull rate The compressed air valve may need to be opened closed to control the flow across the ejector as the air pre mix valve is adjusted to keep the reactor pressure within range 3 Testing Conduct a few runs with just the GEK Gasifier before running the engine on wood gas Due to the wide range of variability in the both the characteristics and processing of biomass around the world we suggest that you run the GEK gasifier and test the gas before introducing the gas to the engine Consider the variables percent moisture fixed carbon to volatile ratio void space bulk density energy density particle size percent ash etc Our Bear Kaufman has conducted some simple tests to compare the flow rates and temperature of the reactor vs tar production across various types of biomass lt http gekgasifier pbworks com Multi fuel Run Comparison gt Refer to the temperature readings It is recommended that the top of reduction temperature should be no lower than 800C and the bottom of reduction temperature should be between 650 900C With wood chips particle size 1 4 1 5 inches
13. osure to other VOCs is similarly problematic In short it is some what like smoking cigarettes just exponentially worse Always use a gasifier outdoors and with extensive ventilation Always stay out of the smoke and or produced gas before it is combusted This is NOT typical campfire smoke even though it may smell similar The carbon monoxide concentrations in gasifier gas are higher than in other smokes If you do not stay out of the smoke you can get in trouble quickly usually before you realize it please be aware Always have a carbon monoxide meter in the area where you are working Ideally hang one on a tether around your neck Carbon monoxide meters are included with the GEK Gasifier Kit and are also available at hardware stores in the smoke detector section STAY OUT OF GASIFIER GAS AT ALL TIMES Page 2 II Running the Power Pallet 1 GEK Preparation a Install Instrumentation i Thermocouples Two thermocouples are included with the GEK One for the top of the reduction bell and one for the bottom of the reduction bell e Top of Reduction Bell Install the longer 16th inch dia thermocouple into the reduction bell There is an instrumentation port along the neck of the reactor that includes a 1 2 inch pipe nipple with a 1 2 cap Thread the thermocouple through the instrumentation port then insert the tip of the thermocouple into the thermo couple protecting tube attached to the stainless steel reduction bell Mak
14. quite BBQ charcoal will work Make sure the charcoal is fully pyrolysed To the degree that imcompletely pyrolysed charcoal is used tar will be produced on start up To the degree wet charcoal is used steam will be produced on start up Charcoal is hydroscopic so it is likely that it will be wetter than you imagine however this is OK it will vaporize quickly You will see this as white smoke at the begin ning of the start d Add Raw Biomass Do not fill the rest of the reactor with charcoal Layer the raw biomass on top of the charcoal Fill the biomass to the top of the reactor or hopper Afix the lid on top of the reactor and make sure it is tight Agitate the ash grate and make sure all the fuel has settled You may need to sift out larger chunks of biomass using a screen so that bridging does not occur over the reduction bell too many small particles or sawdust will tend to pack the reactor limiting flow rate Saw dust is better used as the filter material Before filling the top half of the reactor with raw biomass see Step 2 b Page 5 ALL POWER LABS GASIFIER EXPERIMENTERS KIT b Filter Media Fill the filter housing with charcoal or saw dust Use small particles smaller than 1 8th of an inch This could possibly be sourced from the sieving of the feedstock noted in the previous step Fill the filter about two inches from the top On top of the filter media place fabric rags or old t shirts or another air filtering material on
15. th insulating material Char coal dust ash perlite pumice or kaowool for example will work as insulation material in this area There may be other materials appropriate to your area that will suffice as an insulating layer The material should be able to handle a high heat environment Optional The space between the hourglass reduction bell and the reactor around the nozzles can be filled with insulation material also Make sure the level of insulation material in this region is about 2 inches from the top of the hourglass reduction bell Warning Make sure no insulation material is allowed inside the reduction bell Use a rag to plug the reduction bell so that no insulation material accidently falls into the bottom of the reactor Page 4 ALL POWER LABS GASIFIER EXPERIMENTERS KIT c Fill Reactor with Charcoal Fill the bottom of the reactor as well as inside the reUsing charcoal between 5 2 in diameter fill the reactor up to 1 2 above the ignition port air nozzles Allow charcoal through the reduction bell then vigor ously agitate the ash grate Repeat until the charcoal has been allowed to completely fill the space between the ash grate and the reduction bell Do not use finer particles or dust as that will foul the reduction on start USE REAL WOOD CHARCOAL It is important to use real wood charcoal not Kingsford or the like which is mostly pressed coal dust Charcoal from a fireplace fire pit or mes
16. top to keep the finer particulates from entraining in the gas stream Warning Use only cotton or natural fibers Do no use nylon or synthetic fibers Some materials have the potential to melt and possibly be introduced into the engine Be sure to place the perforated filter plate on top of the air filtering material to hold it in place so that it will not be sucked up into the gas exit port 2 Start the GEK Safety first Be aware and remember protective eye equipment when dealing with the combustion of fuels there is always a potential for explosion With the GEK there has never been any case of explosions more than a small cough of flame that may protrude out of the ignition port while the combustion zone is stabilizing ini tially Proceed forward with awareness and caution a Air Flow Connect the air compressor to the quick air connect of the ejector venturi Remove the 1 air inlet cap on the reactor and open the 1 4 air compressor valve These are the only ports that should be open The monometer should respond easily upwards to 5 inH2O Set the pressure drop across the reactor to about 3 H2O If the monometer does not respond double check that all ports valves lids and caps are closed excluding the valves mentioned in this step For further assistance visit the Final Preparation Before Lighting webpage lt http gekgasifier pbworks com Final preparation before lighting gt You will need an air compressor capable of a
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