Technology and Utilisation |
1969 | Thomas Shirley conducted crude experiments with carborated hydrogen |
1699 | Dean Clayton obtained coal gas from pyrolitic experiment |
1788 | Robert Gardner obtained the first patent with regard to gasification |
1792 | First confirmed use of producer gas reported, Murdoc used the gas generated from coal to light a room in his house. Since then, for many years coal gas was used for cooking and heating |
1801 | Lampodium proved the possibility of using waste gases escaping from charring of wood |
1804 | Fourcroy found the water gas by reaction of water with a hot carbon |
1812 | developed first gas producer which uses oil as fuel |
1840 | First commercially used gasifier was built in France |
1861 | Real breakthrough in technology with introduction of Siemens gasifier. This gasifier is considered to be first successful unit |
1878 | Gasifiers were successfully used with engines for power generation |
1900 | First 600 hp gasifier was exhibited in Paris. Thereafter, larger engines upto 5400 hp were put into service |
1901 | J.W. Parker run a passenger vehicle with producer gas |
after 1901 | In the period 1901-1920, many gasifier-engine systems were sold and used for power and electricity generation |
1930 | Nazi Germany accelerated effort to convert existing vehicles to producer gas drive as part of plan for national security and and independence from imported oil |
1030 | Began development for small automotive and portable gas producer. British and French Goverment felt that automotive charcoal gas producer is more suitable for their colonies where supply of gasoline was scarce and wood that could charred to charcoal was readily available |
1939 | About 2,50,000 vehicles were registered in the Sweden. Out of them, 90 % were converted to producer gas drive. Almost all of the 20,000 tractors were operated on producer gas. 40 % of the fuel used was wood and remainder charcoal |
After 1945 | After end of second world war, with plentiful gasoline and diesel available at cheap cost, gasificaton technology lost glory and importance |
1950- 1970 | During this decades, gasification was " Forgotten Technology ". Many goverments in europe to felt that consumption of wood at the prevailing rate will reduce the forest, creating several environmental problems |
After 1970 | The year 1970īs brought a renewed interest in the technology for power generation at small scale. Since then work is also concentrated to use fuels other than wood and charcoal. |