Date:         Wed, 17 Jul 2002 12:57:31 -0400
Reply-To:     David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Subject:      Re: Running on Tap Water (was Re: Attention California
              Vanagonites)
Comments: To: Harmon Seaver <hseaver@cybershamanix.com>
In-Reply-To:  <20020717125321.GB4681@cybershamanix.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

Very interesting...

Perhaps you can answer a question that's been bothering me for a long time
-- what happens to gas that's excess to the instantaneous requrements of
the engine?

And how do folks deal with the rather astounding toxicity of the stuff?  I
mention in passing

>It must, however, also be understood that use of producer gas vehicles
>involves certain risks. These have been described in Chapter 2, but it
>should be mentioned in this context that the experiences in Sweden of a
>rapid introduction of producer gas vehicles at the beginning of the Second
>World War were fairly unfavourable. There were several fatalities caused
>by carbon monoxide poisoning and a marked increase of the frequency of car
>fires. After enforcement of strict safety regulations, and strenuous
>efforts to educate drivers, these types of accidents became less frequent.
>The number of persons annually diagnosed as suffering from "chronic
>effects" of producer gas poisoning nevertheless increased. In total about
>10000 persons in Sweden were recorded as cases of chronic poisoning during
>the period 1941-1945. It should be understood, however, that the symptoms
>do disappear after a time if a person suffering from poisoning is no
>longer exposed to the gas. There appears to be no permanent damage, but
>poisoning is still a problem because of lost working days.
>
>It is possible that this experience was a result of the habit of bringing
>vehicles indoors in the winter to facilitate starting and that the risks
>may be less in a warm climate, but it appears to be very important to
>minimize the exposure to gas of drivers, passengers and persons working in
>garages and service workshops. The least that can be done to avoid similar
>unfavourable experiences is to follow the safety regulations developed in
>Sweden for installation of producer gas systems in vehicles. A translation
>is provided in (23). If vehicle gasifiers are introduced on a large scale
>without adequate precautions, there is a real possibility of unnecessary
>human suffering and economic losses. Government control of any producer
>gas vehicle programme therefore appears to be necessary.

david


David Beierl - Providence, RI

  http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/
'84 Westy "Dutiful Passage"
'85 GL "Poor Relation"