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Is gasification a viable component of a sustainable future? Can a tractor mounted gasifier be used to supplement other forms of energy generation as it does its traditional tractor chores? Should the engine be diesel or gasoline? What kind of modifications are required? Can such an effort help us to keep on keepin’ on even when there are disruptions in the petroleum supply? As we continue our conversation with Dr. Richard Bates, we will discuss these issues and more.
Just prior to the publication of this briefing, a big ol’ container ship ran aground in the Suez Canal. For the better part of a week, it blocked the long supply line for a wide variety of goods including petroleum products. There are preppers among us that want the option of running completely off grid because of such eventualities. In this interview segment, Dr. Bates had suggested that old diesel engines could be dual fueled, using diesel for ignition and start-up and then switching to the gasification process for keeping it running. I wrote to Rick about the use of home-brewed bio-diesel within the dual fuel scenario.
In his response he was careful to refer to the products of gasification as “producer gas” because people in alternative energy circles generally define biogas as it relates to methane mixtures that naturally emanate from biomass, typically manure. He also said it would be wise to caution potential users of biodiesel that some diesel engines, especially modern diesel engines, may have issues with do-it-yourself biodiesel. He suggested that, until the user knows just how their engine will react, to err on the side of caution and just run straight petroleum diesel while experimenting with a weak blend of biodiesel and petroleum diesel.