Interesting: all the references I got hold of talked about CHARCOAL burners
and, the unit we have certainly used charcoal - it is still in the burner
unit.

Have a look at some of those references under WOOD GAS that Ron mentions in
his e mail. These units were not the most efficient according to some
commentators.  Power reduced by around 50%.  Consider too how many trees you
need to fuel up for a decent run: see my original e-mail.

Gordon

> From: David Babson <[log in to unmask]>
> Reply-To: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Wed, 29 Jan 2003 08:30:44 -0500
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: CHARCOAL BURNING ENGINES circa 1930s
> 
> Heard that on Car Talk too.  How would you get enough energy out of charcoal
> to run an internal combustion engine?  I can understand getting enough heat by
> burning it; pre-Civil War blast furnaces were charged with charcoal, and I
> think you could run an extenal combustion (steam) engine on charcoal, if you
> could provide enough fuel and keep the material burning.  but, an internal
> combustion engine?
> 
> D. Babson
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From:   Jane Brown [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent:   Wed 1/29/2003 8:08 AM
> To:     [log in to unmask]
> Cc: 
> Subject:             Re: CHARCOAL BURNING ENGINES circa 1930s
> 
> Listers,
> 
> I, too, would be interested in responses to this post.  A week or so ago an
> older man called in to the National Public Radio show, Car Talk.  He talked
> about an engine on a vehicle (WWI vintage) that had a hopper on the front end.
> From time to time, the drivers stopped and loaded a mixture of wood chips and
> sawdust into the hopper.  Tom and Ray were clueless and bumfuzzled.  I can't
> help but wonder if charcoal were being formed to power the engine.
> 
> Thoughts?
> 
> Jane
> 
> Jane L. Brown
> Anthropology/Sociology
> Western Carolina University
> Cullowhee, NC 28723-9646
> 
> [log in to unmask]
> Telephone:  828.227.3696
> FAX:  828.227.7061
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Gordon [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Wednesday, January 29, 2003 3:23 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: CHARCOAL BURNING ENGINES circa 1930s
> 
> 
> We are working on a charcoal burning engine as part of a display in a local
> mining town.  I have tracked down pics and some info but I wonder if anyone
> has any description of how they actually functioned?  A cut away drawing
> showing the component parts would be the ultimate....  A summary of the
> material we have to date appears below.
> 
> DRAFT TEXT FOR INTERP SIGN CHARCOAL BURNING ENGINE
> 
> Fuel was scarce and expensive during the Second World War.  Charcoal fuelled
> motor vehicles offered possible energy savings.  They were being developed
> when war broke out.  Countries as far apart as Australia, Japan, Scandinavia
> and the United Kingdom were among those which used these vehicles.  While
> their use was stimulated by the war their widespread adoption never became
> reality. 
> 
> Performance 
> 1934 eight cylinder Pontiac coupé
> Average speed 64 kph.
> Fuel consumption (charcoal) around 220 grams/ kilometre.
> 
> 2 tonne Chevrolet truck with 22 tonnes load
> Average 25 kph.  
> Fuel consumption (charcoal) around 300grams/ kilometre.
> 
> Five kilograms of wood produces about one kilogram of charcoal.  On a return
> trip to Cairns from Herberton (190 km) the Chevrolet would have used over
> 60kgs of charcoal requiring 300kgs of timber. It was hardly surprising that,
> when petrol prices declined again after the war, the charcoal burning engine
> was all but discarded.
> 
> Any clues out there??
> 
> Gordon 
> -- 
> Gordon Grimwade & Associates,
> Heritage Consultants,
> PO Box 9 
> Yungaburra,
> Queensland, Australia 4872.
> Phone 07 4095 3737
> Fax 07 4095 2117
> Mobile 0419 677 022
> Office email <[log in to unmask]>
> Web site <gga.com.au>
> 
> If you don't know where you're going, you'll probably end up somewhere else.
> Confucius