Our latest venture grew from public demand for a variation on the technology used to power the "Pick Up Truck that Runs on Wood" (see below and check out the Press Page). While interest in the vehicle was high, what we heard more often was "Can I get one to power my house?" We recently formed Eden Energy Solutions to bring this idea to life and are now seeking funding to build the first prototypes and push the concept into production.
Eden Energy addresses two of America’s most pressing issues: our dangerous dependence on foreign oil and our growing mountains of trash.
Our Eden Energy System will supply all of a household’s heat, electricity, and cooling needs using renewable solid fuels such as wood, trash, yard debris or any other carbon-based material. Energy is created via the elemental conversion of these fuels rather than through burning, resulting in far lower emissions than any other constant-supply solution currently available. (Sun and wind power will always depend upon the weather.) The carbon-neutral Eden system can be used alone or as part of a hybrid system to increase the dependability of wind and solar solutions. These units can be scaled to benefit municipalities, businesses, and multi-family communities.
Imagine ... true freedom from the fossil fuel infrastructure -- reduced carbon footprint -- no electric bill -- heating and cooling from renewable sources ... and the list goes on.
The current prototype is made of junk yard parts and mounted on a
1989 Ford F-150 pickup truck with an unmodified 6-cylinder gasoline engine.
While this hybrid vehicle has a 5 gallon gasoline backup on board, it is capable of running
entirely on biomass – wood, wood chips, pellets, brush, used construction
debris, clean demolition wood, leaves, grass clippings, hay, weeds, cardboard,
paper, cotton-based clothing, shoes, old pallets, food – and we are testing
more materials.
This project was never meant for public eyes -- it was a private response to the last spike in high fuel prices. It will never win a beauty contest, but it works great. When running on gasoline, the truck gets 12 miles per gallon (a
gallon weighs about 6 lbs), with a top speed of about 90 mph. Running on
biomass, the truck can go an average of two miles on a single pound of wood, with a maximum speed of 75-85 mph. It responds
beautifully on the road with very few stumbles in performance. We look forward to creating an even better (and prettier) version once funding in obtained.
How it Works
The system converts carbon-based solid materials into
fuel in much the same was as you do. When you eat food, your body
breaks the substances you consume into chemical components that fuel
your cells as they generate the energy to keep you running.
The unit on the truck does the same thing. It takes solid organic fuel
in (as you see in the picture) and the processor then converts that
matter into a gaseous fuel that the engine can use to keep the truck
running. The output from your process and the truck's is the same:
carbon dioxide and water.
This is not a glorified woodstove on wheels. There is no smokestack. The processor is actually converting the wood into simple hydrocarbons and then capturing the clean gaseous fuel so the
engine can use it directly. The gaseous fuel burns so completely in the engine that it results in
no harmful emissions.
Watch this video to see Dave explaining the system and why it is so important.
MNN reporter Shea Gunther shot this off-the-cuff video at a sustainable
energy fair in early June 2009. It was the public debut of the truck
that runs on wood ... and cheeseburgers.