Gasification
I was reading a couple of weeks ago about a guy in Connecticut, Dave Nichols, who runs his pick-up truck by burning wood and household garbage instead of gasoline. The procedure uses a process called “gasification” which has apparently been around since the 1800’s. The burn is much cleaner than the normal combustion engine. The article was fascinating, (www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g56LiyLVfPuVRnvHAmq)
Nichols has formed his own company (www.21stcenturymotorworks.com) although he has yet to get a patent on his current project. This type of thing is not unprecedented. People have used and are using gasification to heat buildings throughout the country on a small scale. There’s a video on U-Tube that shows a modified Honda Accord that uses a similar technology, but what I liked best about Nichols’ was his explanation of his own invention. “It’s a complicated version of easy,” he said.
I don’t know about you, but with all the reliance on government and stimulus packages and tax incentives, it’s refreshing to see some good old fashioned ingenuity getting a moment in the spotlight.
By Myron Gushlak