we currently have about 30 of the 60 available spaces filled for the workshop weekend feb 19-21. there tends to be a deluge right at the end, so if you want to join us, you should try to rsvp soon. info on the workshop is copied below. rsvp’s need to go to the GEK forum here: http://www.gekgasifier.com/forums/showthread.php?t=299
the weekend should be good fun. we have a great collection of people of many impressive talents joining us– many of which are flying in from the far hinterlands. so far the distance award is a toss up between the phillipines and ireland. or at least it is a toss up until i go look at a map and figure out which is further from berkeley. most of the attendees so far are listed in the forum thread (minus the luddites among us).
one new thing we’ll have at the workshop is the new GCU control box integration the locals have been refining for the genset skid. this centralizes the control of mixture, grate shaking, auger drive, and temp/pressure measurements. all inputs have now been acquired and the output functions have been put on individual tethers. very interesting new modes of control and optimzation are now possible. you can see the pictures of the clear top control box here, as well as how the pyrocoil is fed hot exhaust gas from the IC engine: http://www.gekgasifier.com/forums/showthread.php?t=305
hope you see many of you soon at all power labs.
jim
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Gasification PowerExchange Workshop #7:
Next Gen GEK 10kw gasifier genset skid and BEK biochar running.
Gasification Lecture and Demo: Friday, February 19, 7:30-9:30PM
Building, Running and Testing: Saturday and Sunday, February 20 & 21, 11am – 7pm
Location: ALL Power Labs, 1010 Murray Street. Berkeley, CA
Contact: jim ^at^ allpowerlabs.org
Cost: Free if you are a GEK or BEK owner, either through self build or purchase. $100 if you are not.
RSVP to forum thread here: http://www.gekgasifier.com/forums/showthread.php?t=299
The next of our quarterly gasifier workshop weekends is set for Februrary 19-21. The purpose of this ongoing series of workshops is to help bring more people to successful operation of small scale gasifiers. The event is open to GEK user/owners, as well as anyone with any other type of gasifier- or just a budding interest in the whole thing. So come join us while we progressively make small-scale gasification a reasonable proposition, accessible to regular mortals, and adequately advanced for honest everyday use.
The February workshop will introduce and demo the 3rd generation of our 10kw gasifier genset skid. We now have the final answer for how we’ll deliver a fully integrated gasifier genset unit, and this workshop will be the occasion to explore its particulars. Since the last workshop we’ve decided to replace the Honda 24hp V-twin motor with a Kohler 26hp V-twin model. The Kohler has a variety of features that make it a better fit our application– most importantly it comes with water cooling, making CHP applications much easier. Combining heating production with electricity generation is a typical request we get from people wanting these units, thus we want to include this potential in the core component choices. The integrated gasifier genset skid continues to be based on the common 4’x4′ pallet form factor for ease of shipping as well as close proximity of components to realize the full TOTTI heat recycling architecture.
Here’s the Honda version of the skid from the last workshop, as well as the new Kohler water-cooled engine replacement. http://www.gekgasifier.com/forums/showthread.php?t=299
The video of the first start of the Honda version is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JrLbu3Ndyw&feature=player_embedded
The workshop will also offer the first public demo and poking opportunity for the new BEK (Biochar Experimenters Kit). The BEK is a multi-modal pyrolysis system intended to create characterized char over a varied fixed bed pyrolysis architectures: direct combustion (updraft, TLUD, stratified downdraft), indirect combustion retort, and inert gas heat transfer pass through bed (and often combinations thereof). Each mode can be run in batch or continuous feed with augers for fuel intake and char removal. The goal of the BEK is to provide the tool that will let all of us figure out which char types are “best” for which soils and generally accelerate all aspects of char for soils R&D. More information on the BEK is here: http://www.gekgasifier.com/reactor-options/pyrolysis-biochar/
The workshop will run 4 parallel tracks simultaneously. You can wander, ponder and participate in all of them. Here’s the preliminary index of tracks and topics.
1. GEK 10kw Integrated Gasifier / Genset Skid: Jim Mason
2. GEK Manufacturing, Fabrication and Assembly: Abram Yocum, Nick Binbeutel and Johnny
3. GEK Instrumentation and Testing Methods: Bear Kaufmann and Michael Shiloh
4. BEK Biochar assembling and running: Jay Hasty
The workshop begins with a Friday evening talk on the science of gasification and a survey of its design and production history. Both beginning and expert reactor assemblies will be presented, with pointers to further reading and current issues and opportunities in the field. Everyone will get a packet with lots of explanatory graphics and core data charts relating to gasification. As you know, we’ve generated a few of these . .
Saturday and Sunday are full days of building, running and exploring the physical particulars. Wear clothes OK to get dirty.
Sign up and RSVP:
The fall workshop was over 40 people. This workshop has space for 60 people. Half of those spaces are reserved for GEK owners/builders. The other half are open to the public. Spaces are free with RSVP to GEK owner/builders. Please RSVP to the forum thread here: http://www.gekgasifier.com/forums/showthread.php?t=299. If you have yet to acquire a GEK by any means, spaces are $100 paid via PayPal to “gek@allpowerlabs.org” at www.paypal.com. And then, RSVP to this thread below.
Travel & Accomodation:
If you are coming from out of town, you are welcome to sleep on couches or floors at the shop. The closest and most reasonable motel is the Golden Bear Inn. See here: http://www.goldenbearinn.com/Home_Page.php
Those coming by plane can fly into either SFO or Oakland. Oakland is 10 miles from All Power Labs. SFO is 20 miles or so. You can take BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) from either, but there is a shuttle conection required from Oakland. The nearest BART stop to us is Ashby, about a one mile walk or taxi. ALL Power Labs is at 1010 Murray Street.
We hope to see many of you soon in the belly of the nanny state beast (aka: Berkeley, CA)
jim
Jim,
Please reserve me a place at the next workshop 19th – 22nd February.
I’ll be coming from London, UK a distance of approx 5731 miles from Berkeley. – Sadly mostly all done at 36,000 feet burning Jet A fuel.
Ken