Wood-burning Dodge trucks smoldering for coast-to-coast trip
As the WillieRun guys get ready to go from NYC to LA on one* tank of fuel, Wayne Keith down in Alabama is preparing to drive in a coast-to-coast race from South Carolina to California (and back) using nothing but a wood-burning truck. Keith's Bio-Trucks (there are currently four versions) use a system that gassifies wood in the bed and then feeds the syngas into the engine. According to the Bio-Truck website, Keith's race vehicle is a modified 1991 Dodge Dakota V8 pickup that can get about a mile per pound (a back-up vehicle, a 1987 Dodge Dakota V6, can go a mile and a half on that much carbon-containing wood). Top speeds for the two Bio-Trucks are 80 mph for the V8 and 65 for the V6. There's a reason that Keith uses older trucks: new trucks can't be converted because of their advanced fuel injection systems. Keith's partners in the BioTruck endeavor include Auburn University, Range Fuels and more. Thanks to tipster Joe P.
[Source: Bio-Truck Homepage]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Wildgoosechase 5:35PM (8/20/2008)
Call it Mr Fusion!!!!!
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Neil 6:41PM (8/20/2008)
They used to use these kinds of trucks in WWII Europe. Have these guys added any new wrinkles?
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Mike Z 8:05PM (8/20/2008)
Of course you have to rebuild the engine every ~5,000 miles doing this from all the impurities in the gasified wood.
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Hans Wurst 8:59PM (8/20/2008)
Yes, we need more wood fire smog!
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diffrunt 12:20PM (8/21/2008)
Tokyo-1951- numerous woodburning 1938 Plymouth taxis (made in Japan)
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