Generator may run on a variety of fuels

A portable electric generator that can be operated with a variety of fuels common to many parts of the world, such as wood, coal, charcoal, grain, husks, grass, and animal dung, may be the end result of research now under way at Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, Ohio. The research is being conducted for the U.S. Army Electronics Research and Development Laboratory located at Fort Monmouth, N. J. The program is concerned with establishing the feasibility of developing a multifueled heat source capable of being coupled to a thermal energy converter delivering 150 watts of electric power. Such a device is expected to prove valuable to military or Peace Corps personnel in isolated areas.