Operation of a piston engine with a downdraft channel gasifier

Off-the-shelf, small scale, alternative energy conversion hardware is practically non-existent. Most equipment in operation today is custom built. This paper details the market and pre-production testing of a prototype 40 kW output device designed to burn solid fuels in a gasifier for utilization in a standard reciprocating engine. This design has been developed with eventual mass production in mind. Components can be purchased from established manufacturers or produced in qualified machine shops. The commercialization plan for this product consists of a Proof-of-Concept demonstration, pre-production field endurance testing, and production. The initial demonstration program and the description of the product are outlined in detail.