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The Numbers: Sizing, Calculating, Converting and Rules of Thumb

Gasifier Sizing

• Imbert Hearth Sizing Chart
• Stratified Downdraft Sizing Chart 

Calculating and Converting

• Conversion Rules: Biomass to Syngas to BTU to HP to KW to MPG
• Online energy conversion (natural gas, coal, electricity, oil, gas, diesel->BTU,MJ,tonne,volume)
• Cone Calculator (or how to figure out the cone cut shape)
• Calculating pressure drop vs media diameter in a packed bed filter
• Pulley Calculations
• Online unit conversion calculators (mass, volume, flow, energy, etc.)

Standards, Definitions and Trade Best Practice

• Pipe Dimensions or the McMaster pipe size chart
• Gas Flow and Pipe Sizing Tables
• HVAC ducting principles and calculations: flows rates, pressure drop, fan sizing, particulate entranement, oriface design, etc.

Materials for Gasifier Building 

Insulation

• Insulation Materials and Their Properties
• Insulation Products and Methods

High Temp Materials

• Metal Allloys for High Temp Operation (stainless, inconel, etc)
• High Temp Flex Tubing and Hose
• Heat Exchange materials 
• Observation Ports

Obtainium

• Building the GEK with scrap tanks

Gasifier System Components

Particulate Separation

• Cyclones
• CAD and fab instructions for GEK cyclone
• Dry Impact Filters
• Packed bed filters
• CAD and fab instructions for GEK Drum Filter
• Final Filtration: Paper, foam, cotton gauze
• Baghouse filters
• Wet Filters-Scrubbers
• Tumble Scrubber
• Mist Scrubber
• Trough Scrubber
• Venturi Scrubber
• Electro-Static Precipitators
• Settling Tanks
• Other Filters

Removal of tar from biomass gasification using carbon materials. Paper compares the performance of charcoal, activated charcoal and coke as a filter media downstream of gasification.  http://www.aidic.it/cet/09/18/108.pdf  

Fans and Blowers 

• CAD and Fab instructions for GEK fan
• GEK Fan Performance Curve
• Cincinnati Fan paper on all things HVAC: flows rates, pressure drop, fan sizing, particulate entranement, oriface design, etc.

Ejector-venturis, Eductors, Jet pumps

• CAD and Fab instructions for GEK ejector-venturi
• Summary of types of fluid driven fluid transfer
• Low Pressure Ejector Testing

Coolers and Condensors 

Combustors and Flares

• CAD and fab instructions GEK swirl burner

   

Fuel Preparation

• Chippers, chunkers and other devices for preparing gasifier fuel

Solid Material Handling

• Augers
• Conveyors
• Drag Chains
• Bucket Lifts
• Pneumatic Transport
• Fuel Level Sensing
• Understanding Mass Flow of Solids in Hoppers
• Cone bottom silo discharger for wood chips including airlock 

Drying Methods and Machines 

 Accessory Components

• Electric Igniters (Glow Plugs, nichrome and other alloys)
• Motors
• Plumbing and Tubing
• Liquid Pumps
• Pumping Tarry Liquids
• pelleting and briquetting 
• Power Transfer
• Process Control

Engines, Generators and Electrical

• Summary of Genset Options for Wood Gas
• Genset models and sellers of interest
• How to Make a Woodgas Carburetor 
• Speed Governors 
• How to DIY grid tie
• Spark conversion for Lister slow speed diesel engines
• Book on (external) Hot Bulb Engines
• Stirlings
• Fuel Cells

Engineering for Liquification

• Pressure and Compression
• Temperature Stabilization

Other Gasifier Design Resources

• High value papers and books on gasification
• Beijer/Susanto internal tar recycle gasifier
• Open-top down-draft gasifier

see also Raw Science section for physical applications of the above