INTRODUCTION TO 2nd EDITION

This construction manual was prepared by my friend and colleague, Harry LaFontaine for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, assisted by F.P. Zimmerman at the Oak Ridge national Laboratory. The justification for writing this report was that in the event of a war or natural emegency, when liquid fuel supplies were interrupted, individuals could build gasifiers to run engines for transport and power. The manual was originally distributed by FEMA. This edittion is the first edition by the Biomass Energy Foundation Press.

Harry was uniquely qualified to write this manual because he built and operated gasifiers during World War II during the daytime as a cover for his Danish Underground activities at night. Harry was also very ingenious in working with the people and materials at hand, so that this is a very practical manual. However, in the intervening years he also came to appreciate the fundamentals of gasification and he also explains these here.

It has been a pleasure to know and work with Harry. He was the founder of the Biomass Energy Foundation in 1983. The BEF is a 501 3C not for profit organization established to promote the use of biomass.

It grieves me to say that Harry died (while still in the midst of many projects) on April 12, 1994. However, this report lives on as a very useful memorial to his life and experience.

Thomas B. Reed
The Biomass Energy Foundation Press 1810 Smith Rd. Golden, CO.

[Executive Summary]