Wood Gas Vehicles: Firewood in the Fuel Tank (2010)
14 hours ago
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- #historical-technology
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- Wood gas cars were widely used in Europe during WWII due to fossil fuel rationing, with over a million vehicles converted.
- Wood gasification converts organic material into combustible gas at high temperatures, a technology dating back to the 1870s.
- German engineer Georges Imbert developed a mobile wood gas generator in the 1920s, leading to mass production by 1931.
- Post-war, wood gas technology declined but saw renewed interest in Scandinavia, especially Sweden, for energy independence.
- Modern wood gas vehicles, though cumbersome, offer ecological benefits, being nearly carbon neutral and using renewable fuel.
- Challenges include large equipment size, reduced engine performance, and user-unfriendliness compared to gasoline vehicles.
- Wood gas cars are not scalable for mass use due to potential deforestation, similar to other biofuels.
- Alternative applications include stationary uses like heating and electricity generation, where efficiency is higher.
- Innovations like molten metal gasifiers and combining with electric vehicles are being explored to improve the technology.