Fuelling of engines by producer gas
Producer gas, the gas generated when wood, charcoal or coal is gasified with air, consists of some 40 per cent combustible gases, mainly carbon monoxide, hydrogen and some methane. The rest are non-combustible and consists mainly of nitrogen, carbon dioxide and water vapour.
The gas also contains condensible tar, acids and dust. These impurities may lead to operational problems and abnormal engine wear. The main problem of gasifier system design is to generate a gas with a high proportion of combustible components and a minimum of impurities. How this can be achieved will be shown later. First, the peculiarities of producer gas engines will be discussed both from a theoretical and operational point of view.