QUIRINO, J. S.; QUIRINO, José da Silva.
Abstract:
One of the crucial problems of Brazilian agriculture is the high cost of liquid fuels - diesel, gasoline and alcohol - which drive up the cost of all agricultural products. Gasogen may be one of the solutions to this problem as it generates a low-cost fuel gas - poor gas - within the farm. The project developed is a low-maintenance, rustic, rugged, counter-current, coal-fed gasogen to operate in the conditions of northeastern Brazil. Its performance was evaluated with a motor coupled to a water pump. Performance and operation went beyond expectation. The system has the potential to be passed on to the rural environment. Its performance can be assured by four months of intensive testing. Efficiency, operation, maintenance and economy data were obtained. The generated gases were analyzed by determining the approximate levels of carbon monoxide, hydrogen, methane, carbon dioxide and nitrogen. The performance of the heat exchanger was also determined. The performance of this gasifier can be placed at the same level as good commercial countercurrent gasifiers. The manufacturing cost is relatively low and is within reach of large numbers of farmers.
