Gasification is considered the cleanest, most efficient combustion method known. It is not new. Thousands of vehicles were fuelled by gasifiers during World War II. These produced gas which combusted so clean it was used in chimney-less household appliances such as cookers and heaters, without adverse effects.

The fuel shortages during WWII lead to urgent searches for alternative fuels across Europe and beyond. Vehicles were modified to run on wood, charcoal, or even coal.

The gas generator was an airtight vessel into which was introduced a charge of wood, charcoal, or anthracite coal. Heat was applied to the fuel either internally or externally to initiate a self-sustaining gasification of the fuel in an oxygen deprived environment.

The resulting "woodgas" was piped to the reservoir, or in the case of small engines, directly to the engine carburetor. Wood-gas modified vehicles were therefore technically a "dual fuel" vehicle in that a self-sustaining gasification of the wood charcoal, or coal required another fuel to start the process.

Gas reservoir sizes depended upon vehicle, engine, and gasifier size. Small vehicles and engines could be supplied directly from the gasifier, thus eliminating large reservoirs. Larger, more powerful vehicles required separate gas reservoirs to compensate for gasifier outputs which were less than the fuel consumption rate of the engine. These larger reservoirs usually took the form of gas bags that were attached to the roof or rear end of the vehicle.

The largest mobile reservoirs were gas bags fitted to busses which were often several feet in diameter and as long as the vehicle. New technology is opening up the prospect of utilizing wood waste from forest harvesting and sawmills for efficient, small-scale electricity production. Potential benefits include worthwhile cost savings as well as the "greenhouse-friendly" replacement of fossil fuels with a renewable energy source. Wood gas burner.