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How to Compress Wood Gas

Wood gas is a byproduct of burning any carbon-based biomass -- not just wood. Many types of trash qualify, as do straw and paper. You can capture this gas and then compress it for use with an internal-combustion engine. U.S. tanks in World War II had gasifiers on board to convert a wood burning fire into fuel for its engine. In Europe, experimental production plants can turn about 10 pounds of wood into a liter of a fuel that acts much like diesel.

Things You'll Need

Wood gas generator
Gas cylinder

Instructions

- 1
  Place wood, paper, straw or other biomass into your wood gas generator, also called a "gasifier." Light the contents of the generator on fire.
- 2
  Connect your collection cylinder to the exit valve of the generator. Most generators have a threaded exit valve for this purpose. Activate the valve on the cylinder that increases pressure on the gas inside.
- 3
  Drain the cylinder into a liquid fuel storage container when the pressurization has resulted in the formation of liquid fuel. The exact amount of time will vary depending on the manufacturer of the cylinder, so review the instructions carefully.

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