Comparative Performance of Updraft-Gasified Gas Yields and Gasoline Fuel for Water Pumping

This research study investigates the performance of an updraft gasifier for a water pump powered by a small engine. The main components of the system are a 0.0793 m3 updraft gasifier, a cooling coil tube, a 0.050 m3 gas tank and a gas mixer. The proposed gasifier system is modified to prevent corrosion by covering the inside of the steel gasifier cover with fireproof cement. A HONDA GX120 gasoline engine and a water pump (MOKRO MK39 model) are used. Dried wood (5 kg), charcoal (5 kg) and gasoline are fuels in the experiments. The experiments are to identify a suitable fuel used with and without the gasifier in terms of the shortest time required to pump 5-liter water from a suction tank to a discharge tank with a water head of 13 m. The engine speed to drive the water pump is maintained at approximately 2500 rpm. The engine speeds, the lengths of time to pump out 5-liter water and the fuel consumption are observed and documented. The flow rates of the dried wood, charcoal and gasoline under study are respectively 0.000134±2.4x 10-6, 0.000130±4.21 x 10-7 and 0.00017±4.22 x10-7 m3/s, while their respective power of fluid flow are 17.1±0.35, 16.7±0.54 and 22.01±0.05 W. Their specific energy consumption levels are 0.45±0.0081, 0.46±0.0151and 0.0180±0.000045 MJ/liter, respectively.