Wood gasification in catastrophes: Electricity production from light duty vehicles

Following global catastrophic infrastructure loss (GCIL), traditional electricity networks would be unavailable, necessitating alternative solutions to sustain critical services, such as decentralized electricity generation from wood gas. This study explores the feasibility of using modified light duty vehicles to self-sustain electricity generation by producing wood chips for wood gasification. A 2004 Ford Falcon Fairmont was modified to power a woodchipper and an electrical generator. The vehicle successfully produced wood chips suitable for gasification with an energy return on investment (EROI) of 3.7 and sustained a stable output of 20 kW electrical power. Scalability analyses suggest such solutions could provide electricity to the water sanitation sector, equivalent to 4% of global electricity demand, if production of woodchippers was increased post-catastrophe. Future research could investigate the long-term durability of modified vehicles, scalability of wood gasification, and alternative electricity generation methods in GCIL scenarios. This work provides a foundation for developing resilient, decentralized energy systems to ensure the continuity of critical services during catastrophic events, leveraging existing vehicle infrastructure to enhance disaster preparedness.