Safety fundamentals
Make energy. Respect energy.
Make Your Own Gas is educational. It explains how technologies work, what they need and what can go wrong — it does not provide construction instructions, chemical procedures or operating recipes.
Fuel production, storage and engine modification involve hazards that cause serious injury, fire and death. Work with qualified professionals, follow the codes and regulations that apply where you live, and obtain the required permits and inspections before building or operating anything.
Hazard categories
Every technology on this site involves at least one of these. Understanding which ones apply is part of understanding the technology.
Flammable liquids
Ethanol, methanol and biodiesel intermediates ignite readily and their vapours travel. Storage, ventilation, bonding and fire suppression are design requirements, not accessories.
Combustible gases
Methane, hydrogen and producer gas form explosive mixtures with air across wide ranges. Leak detection, ignition-source control and outdoor siting matter more than the vessel itself.
Carbon monoxide
Producer gas is largely carbon monoxide: odourless, invisible and lethal at low concentrations. It is the reason wood gas is never operated in an enclosed space.
High pressure
Compressed methane and hydrogen store large amounts of energy mechanically. Compression and storage are regulated activities requiring certified equipment.
Toxic and corrosive chemicals
Biodiesel production uses strong bases and alcohols; methanol is toxic by skin contact and ingestion. Chemical handling training is a prerequisite.
Electricity
Solar arrays, batteries and chargers involve DC voltages that do not self-extinguish an arc. Battery systems add thermal runaway and stored-energy risk.
High temperatures
Gasifiers, distillation and reforming run hot enough to cause serious burns and to ignite nearby material.
Engine and fuel-system modification
Modified fuel systems can fail in ways stock systems do not — leaks, backfire paths and uncontrolled combustion.
Fuel storage
Quantity limits, containment, separation distances, labelling and insurance requirements all apply once you store fuel on site.
Equipment categories
The hardware families involved across these technologies — described so you know what a system consists of, and who to talk to about it.
Anaerobic digesters
Vessels, mixing, heating and digestate handling.
Gas cleanup
Moisture removal, hydrogen sulphide scrubbing, CO₂ separation.
Biodiesel processing systems
Reaction, separation, washing, drying and testing.
Fuel storage
Fuel-rated tanks, containment, dispensing and labelling.
Gasifiers
Reactors, cyclones, cooling and tar filtration.
Electrolyzers
Stacks, power electronics, water treatment and drying.
Solar systems
Modules, inverters, mounting and protection.
EV chargers
AC and DC charging equipment and load management.
Generators
Gaseous, dual-fuel and diesel gensets.
Monitoring equipment
Pressure, temperature, flow and fuel quality.
Gas detection
Methane, carbon monoxide and hydrogen detection and alarms.