KOBAS Stationary Suction Gas Engine and Charcoal Gas Producer Unit

During the petroleum shortage during and after World War II, the wood gas engine supported a great part of motive power. Although the engine is not part of the history of power engines, it can be said to be the first power source to use ‘biomass’, which attracts considerable attention as a renewable energy these days. The Kobayashi-style wood gas engine was manufactured by Shutaro Kobayashi of Kobayashi Brothers Iron Works (Hiroshima Prefecture) in 1936 and his unique devices and their features are notable, including block transportability and a diversion mechanism to a petroleumdriven engine. In addition, many documents used at that time have been preserved, in which the history of comprehensive production by manufacturers of small- to mid-size engines can be known.