ETS Reactor Vessel

An ETS Wood Gasifier Generator   ... can produce electricity or be used for cooking or heating water. A complete, portable, self-contained wood gas electric generator fueled by scrap wood chips is pictured to the right.  The day is fast approaching when there could be prolonged power failures and drastic fuel shortages. This could happen as the result of a massive solar flare event, a severe storm, or maybe even an electro-magnetic pulse (EMP) strike. Adding to that list, there is now the possibility of a major worldwide economic collapse. Do you have an emergency plan for providing gas and electricity for your home? Home-scale solar, wind and hydro power generating plants are currently the best answer for your basic electricity needs, but they each have their limitations. Prolonged periods of cloudy days will defeat the best solar system, as will calm days affecting a wind turbine or drought stopping a water turbine.  The answer for these possibilities is to have a backup generator, but we know that we cannot depend on any type of fossil fuel system. Wood gasification is one of the best solutions because it can provide both electricity and gas for heating, all from renewable wood. The ETS reactor vessel pictured to the left is fairly simple to construct because it is made mostly from 4-inch pipe fittings screwed together. There are a few simple welds that can be done at any local welding shop. The design features a 5 gallon batch fuel hopper that holds enough wood chips for over one hour operating time. The fan provides combustion air through five nozzles to produce a rich gas mixture sufficient for starting and powering a 3 to 12 horsepower engine. The YouTube video below shows the generator, without the added hopper, being loaded with wood chips and brought up to optimum temperature before starting the engine. This design features a 12 volt DC alternator for charging solar batteries. Since this video was made, we have added a 2,000 watt inverter for intermittent 120 volt applications like powering drills, lights or even a chain saw. For cooking and heating, the gasifier can be run by fan pressure which can produce 200-300 cubic feet of producer grade wood gas per hour. The system can be cart-mounted as pictured, or built into the power shed design as shown below. The cart-mounted system was built for less than $1,500 (2010 prices) out of commonly available plumbing and automotive parts, including the engine as shown. Plans for building both the reactor vessel and the generator are available on a narrated DVD that walks you through each step of construction.                                         To see the ETS wood gasifier generator in action,                                                please scroll down to the YouTube video.

Construction and Plans DVD The ETS Wood Gasifier Construction and Plans DVD explains how to build, set-up and make operating adjustments.  We also include names of suppliers that sell the engine, the fan, the 5-gallon can filter, the alternator pulleys, and other critical or hard to find parts.  The educational value alone contained on this DVD is well worth the price.  Additional files included on the DVD allow you to print the drawings from your computer. The YouTube video below shows the system running on wood chips and producing power; be sure to watch that.

CAD Illustrations and Printable Drawings The picture on the left is a 3D CAD illustration of the complete wood gas generator, including an optional 5-gallon wood chip hopper on top of the reactor vessel. CAD illustrations are used throughout the narrated DVD for clarity. On the right is one of the drawings that can be accessed with a computer. The PDF files are in a separate folder on the DVD, and can be printed from a computer.

ETS Mixer Valve Every engine generator on the market includes some kind of an automatic engine speed control system.  Without this feature, a generator would be totally useless when the electrical load changes thereby causing the engine to bog down or to over-speed.  The ETS design solves this problem by featuring a new mixing valve that is controlled by the engine's internal governor.  In order to obtain maximum engine power and efficiency it is necessary to replace the gasoline carburetor with an appropriate wood gas mixing valve that has a master butterfly valve controlled off of the engines internal governor.  The mixing valve design shown here does all that, plus it also allows you to side-mount the carburetor for gasoline operation as a convenience.  The design for this valve is included with the DVD plans described above.

Alternator / Inverter The ETS wood gasifier system is designed to recharge house solar batteries from a standard automotive alternator. The wiring diagram on the left is included in the DVD's PDF folder. It is intended to supplement the narrated discussion on the DVD. Instructions for printing such files are on the DVD itself. A 12-volt to 120-volt AC inverter can easily be added to provide clean 120 volt power directly from the cart. The inverter also makes it convenient to have 120 volts even when the wood gasifier generator is off.

Power Shed The power shed pictured here is a great way to house all your off-grid power generating and battery storage equipment. The shed can be situated away from the house and oriented for best sun angle on your solar panels. It also allows for short dc cable runs to minimize any power losses. All the equipment is out of the weather and permanently assembled for year round use. It also removes the threat of battery fumes, engine exhaust noise and gases from impacting on your living space.  The plans for the power shed are drawn professionally on a CAD system and are included with the construction DVD.  For more information on the power shed, please click on the "Getting off the Grid" page above.

Here is a wood gasifier built by one of our clients from our Construction and Plans DVD.