Safety
The installation has the following features which help to minimize the usual hazards of gasifier operation:
1. Excessive internal pressure cannot build-up because the lid of the feeding chute is permanently left half-open. Should it be operated closed, a quick-release mechanism can be used to relieve pressure.
2. The gasifier is housed in an open shed so that concentrations of carbon monoxide cannot develop.
3. Gas is fed to the engine by suction. If leaks develop in the system the gas cannot therefore escape into the air.
4. Ashes and cinders are discharged onto a water bed so there is no risk of fire from these.
5. The gasifier is sited at a sufficient distance from the sawmill to avoid heating the workplace.
A strict analysis of the environmental impact of the gasifier has not been carried out but, as noted above, simple precautions have effectively eliminated the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning and fire. Moisture and smoke are vented through the gasifier chimmey which is sufficiently high not to cause pollution. Waste water and ashes (1000 I and 19 kg a day) are discharged downhill to a remote swamp. Finally, the exhaust gas of the engine appears to be cleaner than that of an engine operated by diesel fuel.