BioEnergy Lists: Improved Biomass Cooking Stoves

From Reedtb2 at cs.com Tue Jan 2 13:49:51 2001
From: Reedtb2 at cs.com (Reedtb2@cs.com)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:45 2004
Subject: Global warming elsewhere...
Message-ID: <3e.58741eb.278379ea@cs.com>

I am as interested in GW as anyone on this list, and have expressed my controversial views often here.  (Using up fossil fuel will avert the next ice age which is now overdue, etc.)  

I like what Peter says below in its analysis and modesty.  I resent the GW mafia that dictates that because they are a majority, they must be correct.  (One with God constitutes a majority!)

I DO believe that most of the prescriptions against GW are correct and that we should stop burning up fossil fuel so fast, save a little for our kids and find alternatives before it is too late.

Maybe we have heard all the possible arguments and may have to wait for the future to guide us....
~~~~~~~
We here in GASIFICATION and STOVES are working to do all the right things.  

Therefore, I humbly suggest that we divert the GW discussion to BIOENERGY or some other place that CREST can designate, and get to the business of

BETTER GASIFIERS     and      BETTER STOVES.

Your administrator,                                  TOM REED

 

In a message dated 1/2/01 6:04:56 AM Mountain Standard Time, snkm@btl.net writes:

**********Snipped***********

>Particle size and the dark colouring of the soot. incompletely burnt
>particles and dust are thought to be above the level where rain would wash
>them out of the atmosphere.  So, pardon the pun, The Burning Question is
>what specific role does CO2, methane etc play in this process.

Drought! Part of the cascade!

http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/paleo/drought/drght_home.html

Gives a broad look at this subject in connection with global warming.

I few years back drought caused the burning of large areas of forest here
in Central America. The smoke from this reached to the Mid-West USA.

That was just a small event! A "taste" if you will.

Also the reason why I used the Sagan model.

Climate Change due to global warming leads to severe drought. Eventually we
have the mother of all forest fires. This blocks sun's rays. Plummets
temperatures. Triggers ice age.

A little bit of extra CO2 could trigger this cascade of events.

What do we really know??

"Global Warming is accepted as fact by most of the scientific
community. However, Greenhouse Warming is more controversial because
it implies that we know what is causing the Earth to warm. Although
it is known for certain that atmospheric concentrations of these
greenhouse gases are rising dramatically due to human activity, it is
less well known exactly how increases in these greenhouse gases
factor in the observed changes of the Earth's climate and global
temperatures."

There are so many variables to be concerned with. Apparently computer
modeling of CO2 increase fits well with the actual climatic changes we are
witnessing -- in this past ten years.

Maybe in this present situation -- weather patterns of the past 1000'nds of
years is of no practical value in plotting future weather. We have added
some new variables.

Still -- this is the present "bottom-line":

"The last decade of the 20th Century was the warmest in the entire
global instrumental temperature record, starting in the mid-19th
century. All 10 years rank among the 15 warmest, and include the 6
warmest years on record.This warmth is unusual for the past century,
but what about in the context of past centuries or millennia? It is
only through the reconstruction of past climate that we can truly
evaluate the magnitude of this warming."

The message of "Cry-Wolf" is that once a subject of alarm is presented to
often and/or to passionately -- people become inured to any real danger later.

Keep an open mind! Do not disregard CO2 from fossil fuel combustion as a
non-viable reason for global warming simply because mass-media is pushing
this view.

The global weather situation is always an incredible balance of countless
variables. We do not know just how small a change in any variable will
trigger a cascade of changes.

An incredibly huge amount of fossil fuels have been converted to free CO2
in the past 50 years at an ever escalating rate -- enough to make a
measurable difference in our atmosphere. Can anyone be so sure this makes
no difference to our global climatic conditions?

What else is there to actually point a finger at?

Peter Singfield / Belize
The Gasification List is sponsored by
USDOE BioPower Program http://www.eren.doe.gov/biopower/
and PRM Energy Systems http://www.prmenergy.com

 

 

From ronallarson at qwest.net Wed Jan 3 23:56:30 2001
From: ronallarson at qwest.net (Ronal W. Larson)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:45 2004
Subject: Forwarding Heggie Re: Energy Conversions
Message-ID: <v01540b0cb679870068db@[63.225.124.138]>

For a reason that is not clear, this message from Andrew Heggie got bounced
through me.

Ron (the rest from Andrew)

On Thu, 28 Dec 2000 08:53:59 +0200, mchambwera@wwf.org.zw wrote:

>Can anyone help with conversions of the following fuels to energy
>units such (j or MJ)
>
>1 litre Kerosene or Paraffin

12.80kWhr/kg ->10.24kWhr/ltre ->36.864MJ/ltre

>1 kg firewood

bone dry
~5.28kWhr/kg ->19MJ/kg
30%mc (wwb)
~3.47kWhr/kg ->12.49MJ/kg

>1 kg charcoal

Pure? or more likely with volatiles from a retort? dry?
~7.5kWhr/kg ->27MJ/kg

>LPG

13.80kWhrs/kg ->49.68MJ/kg
6.969KWhrs/ltre ->25.80MJ/ltre

Some consideration must be given to the conversion of this potential
into the target for the heat, LPG can burn particularly efficiently.

Hope that is quick enough, the figures may vary between HHV and LHV
but are in the ball park, just picked up the list since Christmas.

I am still cogitating over remarks on dryness of wood and the
synergism with moisture in the pyrolissi/gasification zone. We had
discussed this before and dropped it. I consider this to be
interesting in relation to top down burning, continuous processes get
round this by "averaging" out the combustion conditions on discrete
pieces of biomass being in the combustion zone at one time. I have
however found one other reference to elemental carbon (soot) particles
in a continuously fed stove which may bear some discussion. As always
I have a theory but nothing to test it with ;-).

It also relates to comments on the gasification list in the
preparations of fuel, and again there was a thread, on the value of a
cheap charcoal gasifier for power generation, where I touched on a
possible mechanism to explain the mode of action.

Anyone want to take up the trail again?

AJH

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From tnntpr at hermes.tue.nl Mon Jan 8 10:58:28 2001
From: tnntpr at hermes.tue.nl (K.K. Prasad)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:45 2004
Subject: Right actions, wrong reasons???
In-Reply-To: <54.dd060e2.2778b8e2@cs.com>
Message-ID: <200101081545.f08FjX010695@mailhost.tue.nl>

Dear Tom

I know you are a sceptic about the hoopla that goes on and on about
global warming. Scepticism is useful if one could produce evidence to
the contrary. When we are talking about future alas evidence is
difficult to produce. Thus it is useful to present facts, talk about
their possible influences for the future and pose questions.

What are the facts?

One cannot deny the fact that gases like
carbondioxide, methane etc. absorb infrared radiation but are
transparent to radiation at other wavelengths. It seems also clear
that the burning of carbon based fuels (almost all our energy needs
are met by such fuels) will produce great deal of carbondioxide which
winds up in the atmosphere. Thus the percentage of carbondioxide in
the atmosphere can be expected to increase. Thus more solar radiation
that is incident on the earth gets trapped in the region close to the
earth. Thus it is resonable to expect that the earth's temperature
will increase.

The possible influence of such warming has been calculated on the
basis of elaborate computer models. We can distinguish three groups
of people among the commentators on the results obtained from these
models. (i) The believers; (ii) The non-believers; and (iii) The
couldn't care less crowd (which probably forms the bulk of the
population of this world!) Depending on your taste you can either
compare this to the traditonal religious arguments or to the
most recent exciting saga of Gerge W.Bush vs Al Gore. Luckily the
Supreme Court of the US intervened and produced a result in the
second case. There seems to be no equivalent institution to settle
the dispute among the categories (i) and (ii) above for the present
discussion.

I put you in the Category (ii) above. Your argument appears to be
that the category (i) do not know what they are talking about. You
are probably right about the "green" politicians. But I am sorry that
the same thing cannot be said about those who work with models. The
description they provide of the models, the inputs they use and the
outputs they obtain are all there out in the open if you care to wade
through the mountain of literature that has been produced on the
subject.While I concede that I've not done the complete wading, I am
satisfied that I have done tons more than glancing the customary news
magazine articles.

Your principle argument appears that there is a natural variation
in the climate. For example you have spoken about the ice age some
8000 years back. Maybe one could expect the Arctic ice to melt and
switch the gulf stream off and Northern Europe may have to contend
with another ice age. As a matter of fact a former Ph.D. student of
mine who works at the Medium Range Weather Forecasting Institute
at Reading in England several years back working with a model came up
with a scenario which covered entire area of Ireland with ice!
Needless to say he was laughed out of court including by his dear
wife. But the point I'm making is that the Arctic Ice is indeed
melting and its consequences are not yet felt here. It is not
unreasonable to attribute this to the global warming.

The other argument I have heard in this connection - not from you, as
far as my memory goes - that the meteorologists do not get the 5 day
weather forecasting right on so many occasions. How can one believe
about what is going to happen 50 to 100 years from now? Well the
believers say that they are talking about averages not instantaneous
chasnges involved in weather predictions over the five day periods.

Another contentious question concerns the life time of carbondioxide
in the atmosphere. There are the aerosols that seem to react with CO2
and thus reduce its quantity over a period of time. Some CO2 will be
taken up by the oceans - this however may not be a blessing either.
There is evidence of destruction of coral reefs and the effect of
this on fish population doesn't seem to have been assessed as yet.

The major area where there seems to be a great deal of argument is
the geographical variation in the warming effect. And even more
serious is the question of distribution of rainfall around the world.
In this connection there will be higher evaporation from water bodies
and water vapour is yet another green house gas. Thus the actual
warming will be higher than what could be expected from just CO2.

Of course there is the old adage about computer modeling - garbage in
and garbage out! There is always the question of completeness and the
accuracy of the input data. People are constantly working to improve
matters in this regard. But of course there is the counter argument
especially in this group by Harry Parker that these characters are
draining public resources in the name of improving prediction from
their models.

I really do not see why we should not take precautionary measures.
While you work on renewables, according to you the economic reasons
are imperative. I regret to say that I concur with those who refer to
economics as that "dismal science". If it were just economics the oil
companies will say that there is plenty more oil if you are willing
to pay for it. That is precisely the argument of the aficianados of
the renewables.

In my view it is not sufficient to press for renewables. It is not
sufficient to push for conservation of energy through more efficient
technologies. There needs to be a reduction in the end uses of
energy. Things can go haywire if everybody in this world adopts the
American way. That seems to be the driving principle behind the
globalization of economies. Maybe the global warming is not the only
reason for reducing the use of fossil fuels. But I do not agree that
it is the wrong reason for pushing the renewables, conservation and
more modest styles of living.

Prasad

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From Reedtb2 at cs.com Tue Jan 9 08:35:16 2001
From: Reedtb2 at cs.com (Reedtb2@cs.com)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:45 2004
Subject: Torrefied-densified biomass
Message-ID: <d.ebc5e2b.278c6a61@cs.com>

The widespread use of biomass energy depends on a convenient supply of large quantities of biomass.  Densification can help with this because it makes many kinds of waste into a very acceptable - desirable fuel.  Gasifiers, pellet stoves and woodgas stoves all benefit from using densified wood.  

In 1979 we found in static tests on pelletizing that

Preheating reduced the needed pressure required by a factor of 2

Energy for densification was also reduced by a factor of 2 at 225 C

The energy content of the resulting pellets rose from 19.3 kJ/g at room temperature to 21.4 kJ/g at 225 C (23.0) at 250 C)

["Biomass Densification Energy Requirements", T. Reed, G. Trezek, and L. Diaz, in Thermal Conversion of Solid Wastes", J. L. Jones and S. B. Radding, ACS Symposium Series 130, Was. D.C., 1980.  I still have the pellets in my "museum".]

In a recent article the Asian Institute of Technology found significantly reduced energy and die wear from preheating biomass before pelletizing.  
~~~~~

Now (1982 actually) comes torrefied wood, (wood roasted at 200-250 C to remove primarily water and CO2, leaving a higher energy content and, lower mass for shipping).  

The next obvious step would be to combine the two processes, Torrefying the wood and then immediately densifying it while it is hot and weak, thus compounding the benefits of both processes.  

If anyone is interested in pursuing this I would be happy to cooperate with them.  

In a message dated 12/19/00 8:41:32 AM Mountain Standard Time, heat-win@cwcom.net writes:

 

Dear All,

In connection with greenhouses you will find much interesting
information re. charcoal and torrefied wood at .

If for example tomatoes are being grown, the vines left over can be
torrefied and used to fuel the greenhouse heating. If there aren't
enough, then other renewable fuels such as wood pellets can be used.

Regarding the lime kilns, have a look at , in
particular the RofireTM link you will find there. Cement kilns are now
being heated using RofireTM pellets made from the un-reusable fibres,
plastic, etc, left over from the recycling of paper.

Whatever else you do to counter the natural gas and oil price crises,
please go out and plant more trees!

Regards,

Thomas J Stubbing

John Flottvik wrote:

 

Thomas B. Reed
President - The Biomass Energy Foundation
1810 Smith Rd., Golden, CO 80401
Reedtb2@cs.com;  303 278 0558

Research Director,
The Community Power Corporation,
8420 S. Continental Divide Rd.
Littleton, CO 80127
303 933 3135

From costaeec at kcnet.com Tue Jan 9 10:18:03 2001
From: costaeec at kcnet.com (Jim Dunham)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:45 2004
Subject: GAS-L: Torrefied-densified biomass
Message-ID: <001301c07a4c$ee5ab8c0$9d65f0d1@default>

 

Tom,

Makes sense, providing of course, that the heat source is
economical.

We have heated material prior to densification, but never to
the temperatures you suggest. I would guess the determining factors would be the
cost of the required heat and the transportation costs saved.

Would be glad to help develop some data.

Jim Dunham
Environmental Engineering Corp.
Kansas City, MO
816-452-6663
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid">
-----Original Message-----From:
Reedtb2@cs.com <<A
href="mailto:Reedtb2@cs.com">Reedtb2@cs.com>To: <A
href="mailto:gasification@crest.org">gasification@crest.org <<A
href="mailto:gasification@crest.org">gasification@crest.org>Cc:
Stoves@crest.org <<A
href="mailto:Stoves@crest.org">Stoves@crest.org>; <A
href="mailto:bioenergy@crest.org">bioenergy@crest.org <<A
href="mailto:bioenergy@crest.org">bioenergy@crest.org>Date:
Tuesday, January 09, 2001 7:25 AMSubject: GAS-L:
Torrefied-densified biomass<FONT
face=arial,helvetica>Dear All: The widespread use of
biomass energy depends on a convenient supply of large quantities of
biomass.  Densification can help with this because it makes many
kinds of waste into a very acceptable - desirable fuel.  Gasifiers,
pellet stoves and woodgas stoves all benefit from using densified wood.
In 1979 we found in static tests on pelletizing that
Preheating reduced the needed pressure required by a factor of 2
Energy for densification was also reduced by a factor of 2 at 225 C
The energy content of the resulting pellets rose from 19.3 kJ/g at
room temperature to 21.4 kJ/g at 225 C (23.0) at 250 C)
["Biomass Densification Energy Requirements", T. Reed, G. Trezek,
and L. Diaz, in Thermal Conversion of Solid Wastes", J. L. Jones and S. B.
Radding, ACS Symposium Series 130, Was. D.C., 1980.  I still have the
pellets in my "museum".] In a recent article the Asian
Institute of Technology found significantly reduced energy and die wear
from preheating biomass before pelletizing.  
~~~~~
Now (1982 actually) comes torrefied wood, (wood roasted at 200-250 C
to remove primarily water and CO2, leaving a higher energy content and,
lower mass for shipping).   The next obvious step would be to
combine the two processes, Torrefying the wood and then immediately
densifying it while it is hot and weak, thus compounding the benefits of
both processes.   If anyone is interested in pursuing this I
would be happy to cooperate with them.   In a message dated
12/19/00 8:41:32 AM Mountain Standard Time, heat-win@cwcom.net writes:
<FONT lang=0 face=Arial color=#000000 size=2
FAMILY="SANSSERIF">
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"
TYPE="CITE">Dear All, In connection with greenhouses you will
find much interesting information re. charcoal and torrefied wood at .
If for example tomatoes are being grown, the vines left over can be
torrefied and used to fuel the greenhouse heating. If there aren't
enough, then other renewable fuels such as wood pellets can be used.
Regarding the lime kilns, have a look at , in particular the
RofireTM link you will find there. Cement kilns are now being heated
using RofireTM pellets made from the un-reusable fibres, plastic, etc,
left over from the recycling of paper. Whatever else you do to
counter the natural gas and oil price crises, please go out and plant
more trees! Regards, Thomas J Stubbing John
Flottvik wrote: <FONT lang=0 face=Arial color=#000000 size=3
FAMILY="SANSSERIF">Thomas B. Reed President - The
Biomass Energy Foundation 1810 Smith Rd., Golden, CO 80401
Reedtb2@cs.com;  303 278 0558 Research Director, The
Community Power Corporation, 8420 S. Continental Divide Rd. Littleton,
CO 80127 303 933 3135

From jovick at island.net Tue Jan 9 11:04:05 2001
From: jovick at island.net (John Flottvik)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:45 2004
Subject: Charcoal
Message-ID: <001201c07a3a$485696e0$6fb8fea9@computer>

 

January 9, 2001

Dear Stoves

Hope every one had a good holiday

This is probably a stupid question, but, if you are
going so far as to make torrified wood, why not go the one extra
step and make charcoal? By going the exta mile, you
are able to collect all the oil from the wood, and sell, at a good price, I
might add.

Regards  John
Flottvik

From heat-win at cwcom.net Thu Jan 11 10:45:20 2001
From: heat-win at cwcom.net (Thomas J Stubbing)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:45 2004
Subject: Charcoal
In-Reply-To: <001201c07a3a$485696e0$6fb8fea9@computer>
Message-ID: <3A5DD19C.D38B4718@cwcom.net>

 

Dear Stovers:
John Flottvik wrote:

January
9, 2001 Dear Stoves
Hope every one had a good holiday
This is probably a stupid question, but,
if you are going so far as to make torrified wood, why not go the one extrastep
and make charcoal? By going the exta mile, you are able to collect all
the oil from the wood, and sell, at a good price, I might add.
I think it's a matter of supply and demand. 
If you make and sell high per tonne value charcoal you are selling less
energy than if you sell dried or dried and torrefied wood.
By all means make and sell charcoal if you can
usefully combust the pyrolysis gases by using their thermal energy to dry
additional biomass and/or extract oil from them.  There is demand
for all four, i.e. dry fuelwood, torrefied wood, charcoal and oil, but
if production gets out of balance the price of the over-produced commodity
will fall and production volumes will be adjusted accordingly.
Regards,
Thomas

 

 

From Reedtb2 at cs.com Fri Jan 12 09:28:42 2001
From: Reedtb2 at cs.com (Reedtb2@cs.com)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:45 2004
Subject: GAS-L: RE: Torrefied-densified biomass
Message-ID: <64.a40a952.27906b4b@cs.com>

Thanks for the coal perspective.  

During WW II cheap coal carried the energy load for large installations.

More expensive biomass carried the load for small gasifiers, home heat etc.  

It is not unlikely that this mix will continue where the convenience of biomass fuels and pellets, briquettes justifies cost at a small scale, but coal always can win in plants designed for it.  

I came across the (Indian?) saying "The present foreshadows the future" the other day.  How about, "The past and present guide the future"?

TOM REED                            BEF/CPC

In a message dated 1/11/01 1:01:50 PM Mountain Standard Time, A.Weststeijn@epz.nl writes:

Hello Gavin,

> Gavin Gulliver-Goodall wrote on woensdag 10 januari 2001:
> There is a great deal of waste heat around the Coal power stations here in
> the UK (30% efficiency only!)
> I guess the problem is that the Biomass is too far away!
>
A bit of numerical perspective "from the field":

1. We won't like comparing the potential of biomass gasification on the
basis of WW2 gasifier vintage. Equally we won't like comparing the potential
of biomass cofiring on the basis of outdated coal plants.

2. A 15 year old pulverized coal plant -built back then as state-of-the-art
plant- typically has an efficiency of 40%. That is 1/3 better than Gavin
quotes.
A 5 year old coal plant typically has an efficiency of 43%.
A recent coal plant (like in Denmark) goes to 45%.
The big european design study presently running (with british utilities and
boiler+turbine companies involved) aimes at 50% for around 2010.

We operate a 7 year old 600 MWe coal plant in heat-and-power service (yes,
only gasturbines plants usually get credit for that, but coal plants can do
just as well) at better than 50% efficiency overall.

3. Biomass is too valuable a commodity to NOT convert in the most efficient
way.
Biomass does not come cheap either. Whether the price is being paid for
growing, ag waste collection, or additional plant modifications etc, it is
sure not a free ride.
But in reasonably up to date plants a fair amount of energy can be extracted
even nowadays.

4. Personally, I prefer to look ahead a few years to where bulk biomass
cofiring may play an increasingly large roll. The averige plants with
sufficient life time expectancy left at that point in time, will sure be
running at 40% efficiency or better. In heat-and-power service (district
heating, greenhouses etc) at 50% or better.

Hope this gives some perspective.
Coal is black, indeed, but coal plants can handle friable solid fuels well
with little modification. That is just what they are designed for.
So how to make that biomass friable, economically, that's the 100$ question.
Torrefaction+densification may provide part of the answer.

Best regards,
Andries Weststeijn  

 

 

From tmiles at teleport.com Fri Jan 12 16:17:07 2001
From: tmiles at teleport.com (Tom Miles)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:45 2004
Subject: Fifth Biomass Conference of The Americas, Orlando, Sep 17-21, 2001
Message-ID: <4.3.2.7.2.20010112125817.00da4920@mail.teleport.com>

Fifth Biomass Conference of the Americas
Orlando, Florida
September 17-21, 2001
Papers and posters, September 18-20.
Optional technical tours, September 21.

Sponsoring Organizations:
U.S. Department of Energy (Offices of Power, Fuels, and Industrial
Technologies), U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Canada, and
National Renewable Energy Laboratory

http://www.nrel.gov/bioam/

Reminder -- deadline for submitting papers is February 28, 2001

Preliminary Topics
Papers are invited on the following topics:
Biomass resources - advances in biomass production, residues availability,
soil sustainability, and related environmental topics
Bioenergy products - advances in conversion for a wide range of bioenergy
products
Integrating emerging technologies with conventional energy systems -
exploring synergisms
Biobased products - advances in production of commodities, intermediate
products, fine and specialty chemicals, and natural fibers and derivatives
Biomass refineries: the link between biobased and bioenergy products -
food/forest products refineries; emerging refineries based on sugars, syn
gas, and new fractionation technologies
Environmental and ecological impacts of bioenergy and biobased products -
includes life cycle analysis and impact assessment methodologies
Public/private partnerships - examples of success stories
Social acceptability of bioenergy and biobased products - international,
regional, national, and local approaches and methodologies
Policies for market development - federal, state, and local programs; policy
framework development to accelerate penetration; and incorporation of
externalities

For additional information:
Fifth Biomass Conference of the Americas
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Attention: Dee Scheaffer
1617 Cole Boulevard, MS-1613
Golden, Colorado USA 80401-3393
FAX: 303-275-2905

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From msnye at northnet.org Sat Jan 13 16:37:01 2001
From: msnye at northnet.org (Martin H. Snye)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:45 2004
Subject: No Subject
Message-ID: <200101132137.QAA12982@crest.solarhost.com>

Looking for 10 inch inside diameter stainless steel stove pipe. Any
information would be greatly appreciated. M.Snye

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From verhaarp at janus.cqu.edu.au Mon Jan 15 05:04:01 2001
From: verhaarp at janus.cqu.edu.au (Peter Verhaart)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:45 2004
Subject: Fwd: Re: Charcoal
Message-ID: <5.0.2.1.2.20010115194804.00aeb6d0@cqu.edu.au>

I was wondering why the message below had not appeared in the Stoves
List. It appears I only sent it to John Flottvik.
Piet

Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2001 07:35:06
+1000
To: "John Flottvik" <jovick@island.net>
From: Peter Verhaart <verhaarp@janus.cqu.edu.au>
Subject: Re: Charcoal

Conversely, why, instead of going through all that trouble to turn
sawdust into charcoal briquettes, why not make it into sawdust
briquettes.
Having briquettes means having fuel in standard shape, size and
mass.
Look what people have done with lumps of fuel of standard size and mass.
There is the Pyromid stove and the much maligned Weber Kettle BBQ.
But they work, they  do exactly what the manual tells you they do.
Why? Because someone has painstakingly done test after test to arrive at
numbers, patterns and times to ensure the desired behaviour (don't hit
him, it's English).
The same thing can be done for wood. If you detest the downdraft mode,
then you could follow the Pyromid strategy. With wood briquettes laid out
in a certain pattern and with provisions for a supply  of air at the
right spots, I am sure a burner with many small smokeless flames can be
realised.
And it uses all of the combustion value of the wood.

Happy New Year and a happy new Millennium to all stovers.

Piet Verhaart

 

At 07:47 9/01/2001 -0500, you wrote:
January
9, 2001

Dear Stoves

Hope every one had a good holiday

This is probably a stupid question, but, if you
are going so far as to make torrified wood, why not go the one extra

step and make charcoal? By going the exta mile,
you are able to collect all the oil from the wood, and sell, at a good
price, I might add.

Regards  John
Flottvik

From adkarve at pn2.vsnl.net.in Mon Jan 15 08:56:29 2001
From: adkarve at pn2.vsnl.net.in (A.D. Karve)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:45 2004
Subject: Fw: bamboo gasification
Message-ID: <000801c07efa$c4d6a920$6452c5cb@vsnl.net.in>

Dear Jim,
the gentleman who can give you information about a bamboo gasifier is Alex
English. The gasifier
made by him yields wood gas and charcoal. There is hardly any ash. We can
provide you with a sample of the bamboo charcoal.
A.D.Karve
----- Original Message -----
From: jim busby <jbusby@linfield.edu>
To: <adKarve@pn2.vsnl.net.in>
Sent: Monday, January 15, 2001 2:27 AM
Subject: bamboo gasification

> Dear Sir,
>
> obtained your email address from a post I read on the internet concerning
> another gentleman and interests in the gasification of bamboo.
> Am a college student at Linfield College in Oregon and am interested in
> doing experiments in the field of ceramics using natural resources/ by
> products.
> Am wondering if the gasification of bamboo yields a percentage of ash, and
> if you know of anyone I might contact in this regard- toward obtaining a
> sample for analysis.
> I apologize for the intrusion.
>
>
> Jim Busby
> Linfield College
> 900 S.E. Baker Unit 2364
> Mcminnville, OR, 97128
> jbusby@linfield.edu
>
>
>

 

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From costaeec at kcnet.com Mon Jan 15 12:07:51 2001
From: costaeec at kcnet.com (Jim Dunham)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:45 2004
Subject: Charcoal
Message-ID: <005601c07f13$1fa9c5e0$2165f0d1@default>

 

Well said Piet.

We have been installing sawdust briquette plants all over the
world for decades, to do exactly as you suggest.

They make excellent heating or cooking fuel. Briquettes are
also made from many other forms of biomass and are also used for industrial
fuel.

Jim
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr
style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
-----Original Message-----From:
Peter Verhaart <<A
href="mailto:verhaarp@janus.cqu.edu.au">verhaarp@janus.cqu.edu.au>To:
stoves@crest.org <<A
href="mailto:stoves@crest.org">stoves@crest.org>Date:
Monday, January 15, 2001 3:51 AMSubject: Fwd: Re:
CharcoalI was wondering why the message below had not
appeared in the Stoves List. It appears I only sent it to John
Flottvik.Piet
Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2001 07:35:06
+1000To: "John Flottvik" <jovick@island.net>From: Peter
Verhaart <verhaarp@janus.cqu.edu.au>Subject: Re:
CharcoalConversely, why, instead of going through all that trouble
to turn sawdust into charcoal briquettes, why not make it into sawdust
briquettes.Having briquettes means having fuel in standard shape, size
and mass.Look what people have done with lumps of fuel of standard size
and mass. There is the Pyromid stove and the much maligned Weber Kettle BBQ.
But they work, they  do exactly what the manual tells you they do.
Why? Because someone has painstakingly done test after test to arrive at
numbers, patterns and times to ensure the desired behaviour (don't hit him,
it's English).The same thing can be done for wood. If you detest the
downdraft mode, then you could follow the Pyromid strategy. With wood
briquettes laid out in a certain pattern and with provisions for a
supply  of air at the right spots, I am sure a burner with many small
smokeless flames can be realised.And it uses all of the combustion value
of the wood.Happy New Year and a happy new Millennium to all
stovers.Piet VerhaartAt 07:47 9/01/2001 -0500, you
wrote:
January 9,
2001 Dear
Stoves Hope every one had a
good holiday This is probably
a stupid question, but, if you are going so far as to make torrified wood,
why not go the one extra step and make
charcoal? By going the exta mile, you are able to collect all the oil from
the wood, and sell, at a good price, I might add.
Regards  John
Flottvik

From jovick at island.net Mon Jan 15 19:14:24 2001
From: jovick at island.net (John Flottvik)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:45 2004
Subject: Charcoal
Message-ID: <000a01c07f35$9ace9d00$6feb34d1@computer>

 

January 15, 2001

Dear Jim & Piet & Stovers

Thanks for the comeback to my
question.

First let me explain what is going on in British
Columbia. Our Ministry of Environment have banned all burning as a way for
forest companies to dispose of wood residue, A few permits are issued, but that
is coming to an end. Several communities do not allow burning of wood as home
heating.

The B.C.Greenhouses are going bankrupt, using
Natural Gas as a fuel. Some have, and some are threatening to switch to (
dirtier fuel) Newspapers comment not mine. The one nursery that has switched to
sawdust has the community up in arms due to fine particle pollution. Weather you
burn sawdust or press them into briquettes, it's still sawdust.

With our continuous process, there is no extra work
to make fuel charcoal. We simply dump sawdust into the feed hoper, then sit in
the control room and keep an eye on the thermo couple temperature. The charcoal
comes out the other end, into a truck or super sacks for shipping. What's so
hard about that. Fluidized Burners are being designed for us to use in
greenhouse applications as I write. I agree, if we were to use the old fashioned
way to make charcoal, this would not be practical. Our new and improved
system
makes this a very wiable venture.  More
comments are welcome, and if you have any questions feel free to call.
Thanks

John Flottvik


Open house on Saturday, February 3
rd

From costaeec at kcnet.com Mon Jan 15 23:29:40 2001
From: costaeec at kcnet.com (Jim Dunham)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:45 2004
Subject: Charcoal
Message-ID: <001901c07f72$5b030de0$2d65f0d1@default>

 

John,
Thanks for the info.  Wish we all had your level of
sophistication in charcoal production. Sounds expensive and thus appropriate
only for large operations.

I hope your law makers don't get too all-inclusive in banning
wood or sawdust burning. Some US cities have banned the use of fireplaces as a
means of limiting wood burning pollution, when it is not the use of the
appliance, but rather the fuel which is the culprit.

Highly densified sawdust, as in firelogs and briquettes, burns
with such intensity that it greatly reduces emissions compared to
cordwood or sawdust.

Vast improvement in many circumstances.

Jim
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr
style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
-----Original Message-----From:
John Flottvik <<A
href="mailto:jovick@island.net">jovick@island.net>To: <A
href="mailto:stoves@crest.org">stoves@crest.org <<A
href="mailto:stoves@crest.org">stoves@crest.org>Date:
Monday, January 15, 2001 6:04 PMSubject:
Charcoal
January 15, 2001

Dear Jim & Piet & Stovers

Thanks for the comeback to my
question.

First let me explain what is going on in British
Columbia. Our Ministry of Environment have banned all burning as a way for
forest companies to dispose of wood residue, A few permits are issued, but
that is coming to an end. Several communities do not allow burning of wood as
home heating.

The B.C.Greenhouses are going bankrupt, using
Natural Gas as a fuel. Some have, and some are threatening to switch to (
dirtier fuel) Newspapers comment not mine. The one nursery that has switched
to sawdust has the community up in arms due to fine particle pollution.
Weather you burn sawdust or press them into briquettes, it's still
sawdust.

With our continuous process, there is no extra
work to make fuel charcoal. We simply dump sawdust into the feed hoper, then
sit in the control room and keep an eye on the thermo couple temperature. The
charcoal comes out the other end, into a truck or super sacks for shipping.
What's so hard about that. Fluidized Burners are being designed for us to use
in greenhouse applications as I write. I agree, if we were to use the old
fashioned way to make charcoal, this would not be practical. Our new and
improved system
makes this a very wiable venture.  More
comments are welcome, and if you have any questions feel free to call.
Thanks

John Flottvik


Open house on Saturday, February 3
rd

From owen at africaonline.co.ke Tue Jan 16 01:01:59 2001
From: owen at africaonline.co.ke (Matthew Owen)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:45 2004
Subject: Charcoal
In-Reply-To: <5.0.2.1.2.20010115194804.00aeb6d0@cqu.edu.au>
Message-ID: <007701c07f7f$6afb4480$18b167c7@oemcomputer>

 

 
Piet,

In our part of the world (East Africa), the use of
sawdust in uncarbonised form comes up against basic economic constraints. As an
example, we had an NGO making sawdust briquettes in Isiolo, a large town in the
drylands of northern Kenya ('SALTLICK'). They used reject grade gum arabic
(Acacia senegal) as the binder and the work was done as a cottage industry using
manual presses. The dried fuel briquettes had an energy content of 18 MJ/kg vs.
about 16 MJ/kg for dry firewood. Yet their retail price was approximately the
same as that of charcoal, which has an energy content of over 30 MJ/kg, due to
the labour required to source the raw materials, mix them and operate the
presses (vs. firewood collectors who wander into the bush and cut what they
like). That comparison basically spelt the demise of the project. You can't
sell something at the price of charcoal when it has roughly the same energy
value as wood. Consumers began to realise that the fuel was burning more quickly
than they thought it would, with less heat output than they had been led to
believe, and they stopped buying it.

I imagine that the situation of very cheap firewood
is replicated in many other developing countries due to the absence of formal
controls on harvesting and transport and the low cost of labour. Since I came to
Kenya in 1990 the price of firewood has 'only' doubled, whereas the value of the
local currency has diminished by a factor of 10. Its local purchase price simply
doesn't reflect any dependable economic indicators, and it is a fuel against
which no-one can compete without a drastic change in the way its sourcing is
controlled.

Hence our decision (with Elsen Karstad
at Chardust Ltd.) to get into charcoal fuels. We CAN compete against
charcoal as it is an urban middle class fuel for which people are willing to pay
above the odds for convenience and quality. It is transported as far as 250 km
into Nairobi and the retail price is normally around $90 per tonne. This gives
the formal sector some chance to compete. Note that we cannot afford to extrude
the sawdust and then carbonise the briquettes due to the incredibly high
pressures and temperatures that this requires. We have decided to carbonise the
sawdust first and then briquette it afterwards at low temperatures and pressures
to keep costs of machinery and electricity down - for which we must accept a
higher ash content (but longer and more even burn).

Jim Dunham mentions that he has successfully set up
units all over the world to briquette raw biomass such as sawdust. Certainly I
suspect that what I've said about raw sawdust briquettes doesn't apply in many
developed countries, where firewood prices are much higher and a greater value
is placed on proper use of residues. There may indeed be an opportunity to
compete in such circumstances.

Then again we don't have to contend with any
emissions regulations either during manufacture or final combustion, which
although we aim to flare all volatiles and produce low emissions fuels, does
allow us a certain experimental leeway out at the production facility that Jon
Flottvik in British Columbia would die for!

Matthew Owen
Chardust
Nairobi

<BLOCKQUOTE
style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px">


Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2001 07:35:06
+1000To: "John Flottvik" <<A
href="mailto:jovick@island.net">jovick@island.net>From: Peter
Verhaart <<A
href="mailto:verhaarp@janus.cqu.edu.au">verhaarp@janus.cqu.edu.au>Subject:
Re: CharcoalConversely, why, instead of going through all that
trouble to turn sawdust into charcoal briquettes, why not make it into
sawdust briquettes.Having briquettes means having fuel in standard
shape, size and mass.Look what people have done with lumps of fuel of
standard size and mass. There is the Pyromid stove and the much maligned
Weber Kettle BBQ. But they work, they  do exactly what the manual
tells you they do. Why? Because someone has painstakingly done test after
test to arrive at numbers, patterns and times to ensure the desired
behaviour (don't hit him, it's English).The same thing can be done for
wood. If you detest the downdraft mode, then you could follow the Pyromid
strategy. With wood briquettes laid out in a certain pattern and with
provisions for a supply  of air at the right spots, I am sure a burner
with many small smokeless flames can be realised.And it uses all of the
combustion value of the wood.Happy New Year and a happy new
Millennium to all stovers.Piet VerhaartAt 07:47
9/01/2001 -0500, you wrote:
January 9,
2001 Dear
Stoves Hope every one had a
good holiday This is probably
a stupid question, but, if you are going so far as to make torrified wood,
why not go the one extra step and make
charcoal? By going the exta mile, you are able to collect all the oil from
the wood, and sell, at a good price, I might add.
Regards  John
Flottvik

From Auke.Koopmans at fao.org Tue Jan 16 05:39:55 2001
From: Auke.Koopmans at fao.org (Koopmans, Auke (FAORAP))
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:45 2004
Subject: Charcoal
Message-ID: <3F078B30BD9FD21190830090273A70A901DD4888@rapexch1.fao.org>

Dear All,

We replied to him on 8 January with the following message:

----------------------------------
-----Original Message-----
From: Koopmans, Auke (FAORAP)
Sent: Monday, January 08, 2001 11:14 AM
To: 'P Wagner'
Subject: RE: Charcoal/Wood Energy and Environment

A Very Happy New Year to you from the RWEDP team here In Bangkok. With
regard to emissions from charcoal making you can have a look at the
following website:

http://www.energy.demon.nl/GHG/kilns.htm

In case you need the full text of the report please let me know and
I will see if we can retrieve it from a library here and send it to you.

With best regards,
--------------------------------------------

Again this morning we have sent him again the same message. Hopefully he
will receive it.

With best regards,

Auke Koopmans
Chief Technical Advisor and Wood Energy Conservation Specialist
FAO-RWEDP, Maliwan Mansion, 39 Phra Atit Road
Bangkok 10200, THAILAND
Tel. +66-2-280 2760
Fax +66-2-280 0760
Website http://www.rwedp.org
Email rwedp@fao.org or auke.koopmans@fao.org

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bjorn Brandberg [SMTP:b.brandberg@mail.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, January 16, 2001 4:49 PM
> To: P Wagner; Koopmans, Auke (FAORAP); Ronal Larson; Erik Arrhenius;
> Kevin Chisholm; Alex English; Don Henry; Stovers
> Subject: Re: Charcoal
>
> Hi
> Is there somebody who can help R. Wagner, E. Zamzow with their question?
> I regret that I am not the expert but I can imagine that the problem is
> small in Namibia given that your population density is low. Locating you
> kilns upwind of settlement areas further reduces the problem.
>
>
> Best regards
> Bjorn
>
> Bjorn Brandberg
> -------------------------------
> SBI Consulting
> P.O.Box 131 EVENI
> Mbabane
> Swaziland (Africa)
>
> Tel: +268-404-0067, 404-3243
> Fax: +268-404-0067
> E-mail: b.brandberg@mail.com
> -------------------------------
>
>
> 15/1/01 3:17 pm P Wagner wrote
>
> >R. Wagner, E. Zamzow
> >Namibia
> >e-mail: Moselle@out.namib.com
> >
> >
> >re.: our e-mail, dated 01.01.01
> >
> >Dear Sir,
> >with our e-mail, dated 01.01.01, we've asked you some questions about the
>
> >gases, trapped gases, air pollution and other, produced during the
> >charcoal manufacturing in simple unfiltered kilns.
> >Sorry that we ask you again, but we need this information very urgent.
> >If you can't help us, please give us to other adresses from experts, if
> >possible.
> >Thank you very much.
> >Yours faithfully,
> >R. Wagner, E. Zamzow
> >
The Stoves List is Sponsored by
Pyromid Inc. http://www.pyromid.net
Stoves Webpage, Charcoal, Activated Carbon
http://www.ikweb.com/enuff/public_html/Stoves.html
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From english at adan.kingston.net Tue Jan 16 07:36:19 2001
From: english at adan.kingston.net (*.English)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:45 2004
Subject: Charcoal
In-Reply-To: <3F078B30BD9FD21190830090273A70A901DD4888@rapexch1.fao.org>
Message-ID: <200101161224.HAA27359@adan.kingston.net>

 

I believe the entire study can be found in a pdf file at
http://ehs.sph.berkeley.edu/krsmith/Publications/publications.htm
Alex

> A Very Happy New Year to you from the RWEDP team here In Bangkok. With
> regard to emissions from charcoal making you can have a look at the
> following website:
>
> http://www.energy.demon.nl/GHG/kilns.htm
>
> In case you need the full text of the report please let me know and
> I will see if we can retrieve it from a library here and send it to you.
>
> With best regards,
> --------------------------------------------
>
> Again this morning we have sent him again the same message. Hopefully he
> will receive it.
>
> With best regards,
>
> Auke Koopmans
> Chief Technical Advisor and Wood Energy Conservation Specialist
> FAO-RWEDP, Maliwan Mansion, 39 Phra Atit Road
> Bangkok 10200, THAILAND
> Tel. +66-2-280 2760
> Fax +66-2-280 0760
> Website http://www.rwedp.org
> Email rwedp@fao.org or auke.koopmans@fao.org
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Bjorn Brandberg [SMTP:b.brandberg@mail.com]
> > Sent: Tuesday, January 16, 2001 4:49 PM
> > To: P Wagner; Koopmans, Auke (FAORAP); Ronal Larson; Erik Arrhenius;
> > Kevin Chisholm; Alex English; Don Henry; Stovers
> > Subject: Re: Charcoal
> >
> > Hi
> > Is there somebody who can help R. Wagner, E. Zamzow with their question?
> > I regret that I am not the expert but I can imagine that the problem is
> > small in Namibia given that your population density is low. Locating you
> > kilns upwind of settlement areas further reduces the problem.
> >
> >
> > Best regards
> > Bjorn
> >
> > Bjorn Brandberg
> > -------------------------------
> > SBI Consulting
> > P.O.Box 131 EVENI
> > Mbabane
> > Swaziland (Africa)
> >
> > Tel: +268-404-0067, 404-3243
> > Fax: +268-404-0067
> > E-mail: b.brandberg@mail.com
> > -------------------------------
> >
> >
> > 15/1/01 3:17 pm P Wagner wrote
> >
> > >R. Wagner, E. Zamzow
> > >Namibia
> > >e-mail: Moselle@out.namib.com
> > >
> > >
> > >re.: our e-mail, dated 01.01.01
> > >
> > >Dear Sir,
> > >with our e-mail, dated 01.01.01, we've asked you some questions about the
> >
> > >gases, trapped gases, air pollution and other, produced during the
> > >charcoal manufacturing in simple unfiltered kilns.
> > >Sorry that we ask you again, but we need this information very urgent.
> > >If you can't help us, please give us to other adresses from experts, if
> > >possible.
> > >Thank you very much.
> > >Yours faithfully,
> > >R. Wagner, E. Zamzow
> > >
> The Stoves List is Sponsored by
> Pyromid Inc. http://www.pyromid.net
> Stoves Webpage, Charcoal, Activated Carbon
> http://www.ikweb.com/enuff/public_html/Stoves.html
> http://www.crest.org/renewables/biomass-info/carbon.shtml
> Other Sponsors, Archive and Information
> http://www.nrel.gov/bioam/
> http://solstice.crest.org/renewables/stoves-list-archive/
> http://www.crest.org/renewables/biomass-info/
> For information about CHAMBERS STOVES
> http://www.ikweb.com/enuff/public_html/Chamber.htm
>
>

The Stoves List is Sponsored by
Pyromid Inc. http://www.pyromid.net
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http://www.crest.org/renewables/biomass-info/carbon.shtml
Other Sponsors, Archive and Information
http://www.nrel.gov/bioam/
http://solstice.crest.org/renewables/stoves-list-archive/
http://www.crest.org/renewables/biomass-info/
For information about CHAMBERS STOVES
http://www.ikweb.com/enuff/public_html/Chamber.htm

 

From jovick at island.net Tue Jan 16 11:22:33 2001
From: jovick at island.net (John Flottvik)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:45 2004
Subject: Charcoal
Message-ID: <000a01c07fbc$cd47fc40$43eb34d1@computer>

 

January 16, 2001

Jim

Thanks for the comeback of last night.

I would like to respond to the "sounds expensive
part"

If you consider that only what is considered a "
waste" material is used for charcoal. Forest companies in B.C. replant where
they log, so this is a renewable resource. From internet studies we see that
sometimes as much as 30 % of the char product is lost to burning. With our
closed system ( Very little to no air getting to the charcoal) The burning
problem has been eliminated. In terms of
the gasses, as I mentioned before, the condensable
are turned into solids, and sold. The non-condensable, are rerouted into the
burn chamber and used as axillery fuel. We have added a air system with the N-C
gas to force the CO into the burner. With the right mix of air, the CO should
burn. So in term of using renewable feed stock, our expected char return, saving
the wood oil, burning the N-C gas, and most important, the benefits to our
precious Globe. I believe our plant will be the most environmentally friendly
charcoal plant anywhere.

The following are the expected products of
combustion. Note, only because we don't have any charcoal to use as fuel for
start-up, we are using a light oil burner. This will be changed to a charcoal
burner when we have product.

<FONT face=Arial
size=2>                
NCG Combustion
<FONT face=Arial
size=2>                      

<FONT face=Arial
size=2>---------------------------------------------------------------
Heat
Generated                      
212 Kw
Air
Required                         
369 SCFM
<FONT face=Arial
size=2>CO2                                        16.7
%
<FONT face=Arial
size=2>CO                                       
100ppm
<FONT face=Arial
size=2>SO2                                      
12 ppm
<FONT face=Arial
size=2>NOx                                       100ppm

<FONT face=Arial
size=2>                 
Oil Burner
<FONT face=Arial
size=2>------------------------------------------------------------------<FONT
face=Arial size=2>
Heat
Generated                       
63Kw
Air
required                             
35SCFM
<FONT face=Arial
size=2>CO2                                       
12.6 %
<FONT face=Arial
size=2>CO                                          
40ppm
<FONT face=Arial
size=2>SO2                                        
17ppm
<FONT face=Arial
size=2>NOx                                        
80 ppm

Combined Flue Gas from Stack
<FONT face=Arial
size=2>----------------------------------------------------------------------
<FONT face=Arial
size=2>Volume                                    450
SCFM
<FONT face=Arial
size=2>Temrature                               
400 C
<FONT face=Arial
size=2>Velocity                                   3.5
M/S
<FONT face=Arial
size=2>CO2                                       
16 %
<FONT face=Arial
size=2>CO                                          96
ppm
<FONT face=Arial
size=2>SO2                                       
12 ppm
<FONT face=Arial
size=2>NOx                                        96
ppm
<FONT face=Arial
size=2>-------------------------------------------------------------------

According to the Scientist that did the numbers,
and the Professional Engineer that put this all together for me, and I
quote
The emissions will fall within the acceptable
regulatory limits


Respectfully       John
Flottvik

From english at adan.kingston.net Tue Jan 16 18:43:11 2001
From: english at adan.kingston.net (*.English)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:45 2004
Subject: Charcoal
In-Reply-To: <000a01c07fbc$cd47fc40$43eb34d1@computer>
Message-ID: <200101162330.SAA04617@adan.kingston.net>

 

Hello John,
I see the National news here in Canada has highlighted the greenhouse
industry's heating cost crisis in British Columbia and the renewed
controversy over emissions from wood fuels. The same is happening
here in Ontario. Cheap fossil fuels have helped keep the lid on the
development of very clean wood chip and pellet burning systems for
home and industry. There are exceptions but as far as I have heard
the suppliers of large systems over 500,000 btu/hr are practically
frozen out of the Ontario market by environment legislation. We need
to have another look ourselves as the cost incentives are adding up.

Is fluidized bed system that you mentioned strictly capable of
burning your char product or will you have to compete with coal and
other biomass if this system turns out to be very clean?

Is your charcoalling process restricted to sawdust?

Regards,

Alex English
Burt's Greenhouses
RR 2 Odessa Ontario
Canada K0H 2H0
1-613-386-1927
Fax 1-613-386-1211
The Stoves List is Sponsored by
Pyromid Inc. http://www.pyromid.net
Stoves Webpage, Charcoal, Activated Carbon
http://www.ikweb.com/enuff/public_html/Stoves.html
http://www.crest.org/renewables/biomass-info/carbon.shtml
Other Sponsors, Archive and Information
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From adkarve at pn2.vsnl.net.in Tue Jan 16 19:47:58 2001
From: adkarve at pn2.vsnl.net.in (A.D. Karve)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:45 2004
Subject: Charcoal in East Africa
In-Reply-To: <5.0.2.1.2.20010115194804.00aeb6d0@cqu.edu.au>
Message-ID: <000001c0801e$eb2ad180$be82c7cb@vsnl.net.in>

 

Dear Matthew,
you are right about the high cost and low calorific
value of briquettes made out of compacted sawdust and other biomass. 
Charring it is simple and briquetting the char is also quite simple.  Both
can be done at a very low capital cost by a third world farmer. We have
modified an old fashioned meat mincer into an extruder. We first operated
the extruder manually, and after being satisfied with its performance, we
are now fitting it with an electric motor, to increase its output. But the
extruder is not obligatory, as one can just manually shape the charred
biomass (after mixing it with a binder), into balls having a diameter of about 5
to 6 cm, and dry them in the sun.  These balls can serve as fuel not only
in a conventional charcoal burning stove but even in a pyromid stove. 

There is no real shortage of firewood in the
rural areas of our state (Maharashtra, India), because of the availability of
combustible agrowaste in the form of stalks of cotton and pegionpea, as well as
abundant availability of Prosopis juliflora (mesquite) trees. The farmers have a
lot of light biomass which is today not used as fuel (e.g. dried sugarcane
leaves, wheat straw, stover of safflower, sunflower, sesame, mustard etc.), and
often just burnt in situ, just to get rid of it. The farmers are not
interested in making charcoal briquettes out of this biomass for their own use,
but if somebody arranges to collect the charred biomass from the farmers,
and produces them into briquettes, there is a good market for the latter in
the cities.   We have formed a cooperative, which would do just
this.  We do not see any difficulty in selling the char briquettes in the
cities, because there exists a ban of the production of wood charcoal (as a
measure of saving the trees). As a result of the ban, the charcoal prices have
shot up to US$ 150 per tonne.
Yours A.D.Karve

<BLOCKQUOTE
style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black">From:
Matthew
Owen
To: <A href="mailto:stoves@crest.org"
title=stoves@crest.org>stoves@crest.org ; <A
href="mailto:verhaarp@janus.cqu.edu.au" title=verhaarp@janus.cqu.edu.au>Peter
Verhaart
Sent: Tuesday, January 16, 2001 11:13
AM
Subject: Re: Re: Charcoal


Piet,

In our part of the world (East Africa), the use
of sawdust in uncarbonised form comes up against basic economic constraints.
As an example, we had an NGO making sawdust briquettes in Isiolo, a large town
in the drylands of northern Kenya ('SALTLICK'). They used reject grade gum
arabic (Acacia senegal) as the binder and the work was done as a cottage
industry using manual presses. The dried fuel briquettes had an energy content
of 18 MJ/kg vs. about 16 MJ/kg for dry firewood. Yet their retail price was
approximately the same as that of charcoal, which has an energy content of
over 30 MJ/kg, due to the labour required to source the raw materials,
mix them and operate the presses (vs. firewood collectors who wander into the
bush and cut what they like). That comparison basically spelt the demise
of the project. You can't sell something at the price of charcoal when it has
roughly the same energy value as wood. Consumers began to realise that the
fuel was burning more quickly than they thought it would, with less heat
output than they had been led to believe, and they stopped buying
it.

I imagine that the situation of very cheap
firewood is replicated in many other developing countries due to the absence
of formal controls on harvesting and transport and the low cost of labour.
Since I came to Kenya in 1990 the price of firewood has 'only' doubled,
whereas the value of the local currency has diminished by a factor of 10. Its
local purchase price simply doesn't reflect any dependable economic
indicators, and it is a fuel against which no-one can compete without a
drastic change in the way its sourcing is controlled.

Hence our decision (with Elsen Karstad
at Chardust Ltd.) to get into charcoal fuels. We CAN compete against
charcoal as it is an urban middle class fuel for which people are willing to
pay above the odds for convenience and quality. It is transported as far as
250 km into Nairobi and the retail price is normally around $90 per tonne.
This gives the formal sector some chance to compete. Note that we cannot
afford to extrude the sawdust and then carbonise the briquettes due to the
incredibly high pressures and temperatures that this requires. We have decided
to carbonise the sawdust first and then briquette it afterwards at low
temperatures and pressures to keep costs of machinery and electricity down -
for which we must accept a higher ash content (but longer and more even
burn).

Jim Dunham mentions that he has successfully set
up units all over the world to briquette raw biomass such as sawdust.
Certainly I suspect that what I've said about raw sawdust briquettes doesn't
apply in many developed countries, where firewood prices are much higher and a
greater value is placed on proper use of residues. There may indeed be an
opportunity to compete in such circumstances.

Then again we don't have to contend with any
emissions regulations either during manufacture or final combustion, which
although we aim to flare all volatiles and produce low emissions fuels, does
allow us a certain experimental leeway out at the production facility that Jon
Flottvik in British Columbia would die for!

Matthew Owen
Chardust
Nairobi

<BLOCKQUOTE
style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px">


<BLOCKQUOTE class=cite type="cite"
cite> 

From elk at wananchi.com Wed Jan 17 00:34:10 2001
From: elk at wananchi.com (elk)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:45 2004
Subject: Carbonise first, briquette second
Message-ID: <001b01c08044$b217a780$9040083e@pentium333>

 

In a message to Mathew Owen, A.D. Karve mentions adding an
electric motor to a meat mincer. After developing a manual ram system for
briquetting carbonised sawdust and/or vendor's waste fines in late '97,
we set up shop with six mincers- all coupled to a varied assortment of
salvaged geared motors. At an output of 25 kg per hour max per mincer, this too
was soon insufficient to meet increasing demand.

Alex's 'Stoves' website picture:

<A
href="http://www.ikweb.com/enuff/public_html/Bluemax.htm">http://www.ikweb.com/enuff/public_html/Bluemax.htm

shows our more recent scaled-up version of the
mincer/extruder. This is powered by a 7.5 hp. electric motor and can produce
between 75 and 100 kg of briquettes per hour. With five out of six of these in
operation, and running two shifts, we are now getting somewhere- but again,
machine output is the main bottleneck in our new Nairobi-based venture (Chardust
Ltd.).

We are currently working on a unit that will be powered by a
20 hp (approx 15 KW) motor and we hope to see outputs in the range of 400
kg/hour. THAT should get us on the map! When it comes to charcoal production-
particularly in Kenya- quantity is all important, as profit margins are slim. I
wish we had Karve's market price of $150.00 per ton.... at less than half
($70.00 in Nairobi), we are developing this business in a tough business
environment.

We are no longer interested in saving the tree by injecting a
substitute to lump-wood charcoal into the local market- we're now aiming to
save the forest.

It's good to hear that you are progressing along the same
lines Dr. Karve. Maybe we can be of assistance? I'm afraid we have no engineer's
drawings of the pictured extruder, but it's very simple & I'd be happy
to provide details if you wish to make one (or six). The cost us less than $2000
each to have locally made- inclusive of motor and switchgear.

Regards;

elk
<FONT
size=2>-----------------------------------------------------Elsen
L.Karstad, Nairobi Kenya<A
href="http://www.chardust.com/">http://www.chardust.com/<A
href="mailto:elk@wananchi.com">elk@wananchi.com

From owen at africaonline.co.ke Wed Jan 17 01:11:20 2001
From: owen at africaonline.co.ke (Matthew Owen)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:45 2004
Subject: Charcoal in East Africa
In-Reply-To: <5.0.2.1.2.20010115194804.00aeb6d0@cqu.edu.au>
Message-ID: <00af01c08049$bc3483a0$42dc67c7@oemcomputer>

 

 
Dear Dr. Karve,

All sounds excellent and workable within the
economics of your own situation. Although we don't have quite so much unused
agricultural residue in East Africa, the other aspects of your operation sound
similar in principle to our own. At Chardust in Nairobi we have not yet started
to involve 'out-suppliers' in bringing us the pre-carbonised material, as we can
get sufficient supplies of waste charcoal vendors' dust for the time being to
support our briquetting operation, and are actively pursuing sugar companies and
sawmillers who have large point sources of waste biomass that we can carbonise
ourselves. But getting small-scale farmers to bring such pre-carbonised material
to the briquetting unit is certainly something one might get into in the future,
as lumpwood charcoal prices continue to rise and the economics of introducing
another step in the production chain get increasingly favourable.

I saw something similar to what you describe around
Lampang in central Thailand last year. Farmers are growing bamboo and processing
it at rural factories to make chopsticks and toothpicks. All the jointed
sections of the bamboo used to be thrown away, but now two briquetting
companies in Lampang get the farmers to carbonise this waste and bring it to
their factories in pick-up trucks. They weigh the offloaded sacks of material
and pay the farmers cash by the kg.

The only problem I saw was that the farmers use
rather rudimentary carbonisation systems which are in fact nothing more than
very large open cylinders into which the bamboo pieces are heaped and then lit.
This obviously leads to low conversion efficiencies and high ash content, as
well as some poorly burned lumps of bamboo, but they were working on
improvements for the sake of their own efficiency and fuel quality. They use 5%
tapioca flour as a binder and bake the briquettes in gas ovens, something which
would not be competitive in East Africa so we use clay instead - as I believe
you do too (?).

The main market for the Lampang charcoal is an NGO
consortium that supplies fuel to about 100,000 Burmese refugees. They buy
around $2 million worth per annum!

Matthew Owen
Chardust Ltd.
P.O. Box 24371
Nairobi
Kenya

----- Original Message -----
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black">From:
A.D.
Karve
To: <A href="mailto:stoves@crest.org"
title=stoves@crest.org>stoves@crest.org
Cc: <A
href="mailto:owen@africaonline.co.ke" title=owen@africaonline.co.ke>Matthew
Owen
Sent: Tuesday, January 16, 2001 1:51
PM
Subject: Re: Charcoal in East
Africa

Dear Matthew,
you are right about the high cost and low
calorific value of briquettes made out of compacted sawdust and other
biomass.  Charring it is simple and briquetting the char is also quite
simple.  Both can be done at a very low capital cost by a third
world farmer. We have modified an old fashioned meat mincer into an
extruder. We first operated the extruder manually, and after being
satisfied with its performance, we are now fitting it with an electric
motor, to increase its output. But the extruder is not obligatory,
as one can just manually shape the charred biomass (after mixing it with
a binder), into balls having a diameter of about 5 to 6 cm, and dry them in
the sun.  These balls can serve as fuel not only in a conventional
charcoal burning stove but even in a pyromid stove. 
There is no real shortage of firewood in the
rural areas of our state (Maharashtra, India), because of the availability of
combustible agrowaste in the form of stalks of cotton and pegionpea, as well
as abundant availability of Prosopis juliflora (mesquite) trees. The farmers
have a lot of light biomass which is today not used as fuel (e.g. dried
sugarcane leaves, wheat straw, stover of safflower, sunflower, sesame, mustard
etc.), and often just burnt in situ, just to get rid of it. The farmers
are not interested in making charcoal briquettes out of this biomass for
their own use, but if somebody arranges to collect the charred biomass
from the farmers, and produces them into briquettes, there is a good market
for the latter in the cities.   We have formed a cooperative,
which would do just this.  We do not see any difficulty in selling
the char briquettes in the cities, because there exists a ban of the
production of wood charcoal (as a measure of saving the trees). As a result of
the ban, the charcoal prices have shot up to US$ 150 per tonne.
Yours A.D.Karve

<BLOCKQUOTE
style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black">From:
<A href="mailto:owen@africaonline.co.ke"
title=owen@africaonline.co.ke>Matthew Owen
To: <A href="mailto:stoves@crest.org"
title=stoves@crest.org>stoves@crest.org ; <A
href="mailto:verhaarp@janus.cqu.edu.au"
title=verhaarp@janus.cqu.edu.au>Peter Verhaart
Sent: Tuesday, January 16, 2001 11:13
AM
Subject: Re: Re: Charcoal


Piet,

In our part of the world (East Africa), the use
of sawdust in uncarbonised form comes up against basic economic constraints.
As an example, we had an NGO making sawdust briquettes in Isiolo, a large
town in the drylands of northern Kenya ('SALTLICK'). They used reject grade
gum arabic (Acacia senegal) as the binder and the work was done as a cottage
industry using manual presses. The dried fuel briquettes had an energy
content of 18 MJ/kg vs. about 16 MJ/kg for dry firewood. Yet their retail
price was approximately the same as that of charcoal, which has an energy
content of over 30 MJ/kg, due to the labour required to source the raw
materials, mix them and operate the presses (vs. firewood collectors who
wander into the bush and cut what they like). That comparison basically
spelt the demise of the project. You can't sell something at the price
of charcoal when it has roughly the same energy value as wood. Consumers
began to realise that the fuel was burning more quickly than they thought it
would, with less heat output than they had been led to believe, and they
stopped buying it.

I imagine that the situation of very cheap
firewood is replicated in many other developing countries due to the absence
of formal controls on harvesting and transport and the low cost of labour.
Since I came to Kenya in 1990 the price of firewood has 'only' doubled,
whereas the value of the local currency has diminished by a factor of 10.
Its local purchase price simply doesn't reflect any dependable economic
indicators, and it is a fuel against which no-one can compete without a
drastic change in the way its sourcing is controlled.

Hence our decision (with Elsen Karstad
at Chardust Ltd.) to get into charcoal fuels. We CAN compete against
charcoal as it is an urban middle class fuel for which people are willing to
pay above the odds for convenience and quality. It is transported as far as
250 km into Nairobi and the retail price is normally around $90 per tonne.
This gives the formal sector some chance to compete. Note that we cannot
afford to extrude the sawdust and then carbonise the briquettes due to the
incredibly high pressures and temperatures that this requires. We have
decided to carbonise the sawdust first and then briquette it afterwards at
low temperatures and pressures to keep costs of machinery and electricity
down - for which we must accept a higher ash content (but longer and more
even burn).

Jim Dunham mentions that he has successfully
set up units all over the world to briquette raw biomass such as sawdust.
Certainly I suspect that what I've said about raw sawdust briquettes doesn't
apply in many developed countries, where firewood prices are much higher and
a greater value is placed on proper use of residues. There may indeed be an
opportunity to compete in such circumstances.

Then again we don't have to contend with
any emissions regulations either during manufacture or final combustion,
which although we aim to flare all volatiles and produce low emissions
fuels, does allow us a certain experimental leeway out at the production
facility that Jon Flottvik in British Columbia would die for!

Matthew Owen
Chardust
Nairobi

<BLOCKQUOTE
style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px">


<BLOCKQUOTE class=cite cite
type="cite"> 

From tnntpr at hermes.tue.nl Wed Jan 17 10:24:36 2001
From: tnntpr at hermes.tue.nl (K.K. Prasad)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:45 2004
Subject: Charcoal
In-Reply-To: <000a01c07f35$9ace9d00$6feb34d1@computer>
Message-ID: <200101171509.f0HF9fq05691@mailhost.tue.nl>

Dear John

Maybe I am naive. I wonder why sawdust cannot be used in a fluidized
bed combustor? It seems to me that greenhouse applications require
sufficiently large systems so that one could put something like a
cyclone separator for particle separation. Thus you probably will not
lose out cost wise. What you lose by way of adding the cyclone
separator to your heating furnace you gain by not only not paying
for conversion of sawdust into charcoal fuel but also you avoid the
loss in heating value of your original fuel. And needless to say the
emission of all those foul products in the production of charcoal.

Am I getting it all hopelessly wrong.

An afterthought: a catch might be the transportation cost of sawdust.
In which case briquetting the sawdust is a useful option.

Yours
Prasad
The Stoves List is Sponsored by
Pyromid Inc. http://www.pyromid.net
Stoves Webpage, Charcoal, Activated Carbon
http://www.ikweb.com/enuff/public_html/Stoves.html
http://www.crest.org/renewables/biomass-info/carbon.shtml
Other Sponsors, Archive and Information
http://www.nrel.gov/bioam/
http://solstice.crest.org/renewables/stoves-list-archive/
http://www.crest.org/renewables/biomass-info/
For information about CHAMBERS STOVES
http://www.ikweb.com/enuff/public_html/Chamber.htm

 

From jovick at island.net Wed Jan 17 10:59:55 2001
From: jovick at island.net (John Flottvik)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:45 2004
Subject: Charcoal
Message-ID: <001201c08082$d2cb0c40$24eb34d1@computer>

 

January 17, 2001


Dear K.K

Thanks for the mail. Sawdust can be used in these
burners. I unfortunately don't know these burners personally, as they are a
design of the Advanced Combustion Scientist that is working with us on our
burner needs.

Cyclone separators might work, but like I mentioned
earlier, Our Ministry of Environment has banned all wood burning, that
includes sawdust. As far as the foul products you mentioned in charcoal
production, we have in place a system that will grab these foul products and
sell them as oil.

The Lower Mainland ( area in British Columbia
)is like a catch basin, or a bowl where all politician gets trapped. Hence
the burning ban. The last part, the transportation really is not a factor since
there is ample wood residue close to a number of greenhouses.

Best Regards    
John  Flottvik 

From keith at journeytoforever.org Wed Jan 17 22:59:36 2001
From: keith at journeytoforever.org (Keith Addison)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:45 2004
Subject: Charcoal in East Africa
In-Reply-To: <5.0.2.1.2.20010115194804.00aeb6d0@cqu.edu.au>
Message-ID: <v04210106b68c170aac81@[61.121.37.56]>

"A.D. Karve" <adkarve@pn2.vsnl.net.in> wrote:

>Dear Matthew,
>you are right about the high cost and low calorific value of
>briquettes made out of compacted sawdust and other biomass.
>Charring it is simple and briquetting the char is also quite simple.
>Both can be done at a very low capital cost by a third world farmer.
>We have modified an old fashioned meat mincer into an extruder. We
>first operated the extruder manually, and after being satisfied with
>its performance, we are now fitting it with an electric motor, to
>increase its output. But the extruder is not obligatory, as one can
>just manually shape the charred biomass (after mixing it with a
>binder), into balls having a diameter of about 5 to 6 cm, and dry
>them in the sun. These balls can serve as fuel not only in a
>conventional charcoal burning stove but even in a pyromid stove.
>There is no real shortage of firewood in the rural areas of our
>state (Maharashtra, India), because of the availability of
>combustible agrowaste in the form of stalks of cotton and pegionpea,
>as well as abundant availability of Prosopis juliflora (mesquite)
>trees. The farmers have a lot of light biomass which is today not
>used as fuel (e.g. dried sugarcane leaves, wheat straw, stover of
>safflower, sunflower, sesame, mustard etc.), and often just burnt in
>situ, just to get rid of it. The farmers are not interested in
>making charcoal briquettes out of this biomass for their own use,
>but if somebody arranges to collect the charred biomass from the
>farmers, and produces them into briquettes, there is a good market
>for the latter in the cities. We have formed a cooperative, which
>would do just this. We do not see any difficulty in selling the
>char briquettes in the cities, because there exists a ban of the
>production of wood charcoal (as a measure of saving the trees). As a
>result of the ban, the charcoal prices have shot up to US$ 150 per
>tonne.
>Yours A.D.Karve

Is there a way of charring the sawdust-biomass that gets some energy
use out of the process?

Thanks

Keith Addison
Journey to Forever
Handmade Projects
Tokyo
http://journeytoforever.org/

The Stoves List is Sponsored by
Pyromid Inc. http://www.pyromid.net
Stoves Webpage, Charcoal, Activated Carbon
http://www.ikweb.com/enuff/public_html/Stoves.html
http://www.crest.org/renewables/biomass-info/carbon.shtml
Other Sponsors, Archive and Information
http://www.nrel.gov/bioam/
http://solstice.crest.org/renewables/stoves-list-archive/
http://www.crest.org/renewables/biomass-info/
For information about CHAMBERS STOVES
http://www.ikweb.com/enuff/public_html/Chamber.htm

 

From owen at africaonline.co.ke Thu Jan 18 06:20:49 2001
From: owen at africaonline.co.ke (Matthew Owen)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:45 2004
Subject: Charcoal in East Africa
Message-ID: <006e01c0813e$19900c00$40dc67c7@oemcomputer>

 

Keith,At our Chardust operation in Nairobi
we don't yet make efficient use of the heat generated during the carbonisation
process, but this is clearly wasteful and we are now experimenting with using it
to pre-dry the feed stock (from around 50% to 15% in the case of sawdust). We
are doing this by drawing air down through a bed of sawdust on a wire mesh and
up through a pipe that is joined onto the outer sleeve of the carboniser
chimney. The process is assisted by an 12V fan drawing air in through a side
duct.We cleanly flare the volatiles (white smoke) and the amount of heat
produced is tremendous - approximately 40% of the energy value of the feedstock
entering our carboniser.There are obviously great opportunities to use
the heat for space heating and plenty of other purposes. Our effort has
been concentrated on getting efficient carbonisaton at low cost, and with an
outfit made out of used oil drums we are a little limited in high-tech ducting
and recycling options! Still, there is much we can and should be
doing.Some of the ideas we've had are:- Firing bricks or other
ceramics- Making ice...(!) it can be done- Drying or dehydrating crops
ranging from grain to fruit- Distilling potable water from polluted
sources- Transforming heat into mechanical energy - the Sterling Engine is
one way- Curing green woodWe don't have much call for heated
greenhouses here in Kenya, but maybe in some parts of the world in the future we
will see sawmill-carboniser-greenhouse combinations. I wonder how efficient that
could be?I expect other group contributors have much to say on this
subject, especially in places with tighter emissions control (or any at all
for that matter).Matthew Owen and Elsen KarstadChardust
Ltd.NairobiKenya<A
href="http://www.chardust.com">www.chardust.com> ----- Original
Message -----> From: Keith Addison <<A
href="mailto:keith@journeytoforever.org">keith@journeytoforever.org>>
To: <stoves@crest.org>> Sent:
Thursday, January 18, 2001 6:50 AM> Subject: Re: Charcoal in East
Africa>>> > "A.D. Karve" <<A
href="mailto:adkarve@pn2.vsnl.net.in">adkarve@pn2.vsnl.net.in>
wrote:> >> > >Dear Matthew,> > >you are
right about the high cost and low calorific value of> > >briquettes
made out of compacted sawdust and other biomass.> > >Charring it is
simple and briquetting the char is also quite simple.> > >Both can
be done at a very low capital cost by a third world farmer.> > >We
have modified an old fashioned meat mincer into an extruder. We> >
>first operated the extruder manually, and after being satisfied with>
> >its performance, we are now fitting it with an electric motor,
to> > >increase its output. But the extruder is not obligatory, as
one can> > >just manually shape the charred biomass (after mixing
it with a> > >binder), into balls having a diameter of about 5 to 6
cm, and dry> > >them in the sun.  These balls can serve as
fuel not only in a> > >conventional charcoal burning stove but even
in a pyromid stove.> > >There is no real shortage of firewood in
the rural areas of our> > >state (Maharashtra, India), because of
the availability of> > >combustible agrowaste in the form of stalks
of cotton and pegionpea,> > >as well as abundant availability of
Prosopis juliflora (mesquite)> > >trees. The farmers have a lot of
light biomass which is today not> > >used as fuel (e.g. dried
sugarcane leaves, wheat straw, stover of> > >safflower, sunflower,
sesame, mustard etc.), and often just burnt in> > >situ, just to
get rid of it. The farmers are not interested in> > >making
charcoal briquettes out of this biomass for their own use,> > >but
if somebody arranges to collect the charred biomass from the> >
>farmers, and produces them into briquettes, there is a good market>
> >for the latter in the cities.   We have formed a cooperative,
which> > >would do just this.  We do not see any difficulty in
selling the> > >char briquettes in the cities, because there exists
a ban of the> > >production of wood charcoal (as a measure of
saving the trees). As a> > >result of the ban, the charcoal prices
have shot up to US$ 150 per> > >tonne.> > >Yours
A.D.Karve> >> > Is there a way of charring the
sawdust-biomass that gets some energy> > use out of the
process?> >> > Thanks> >> > Keith
Addison> > Journey to Forever> > Handmade Projects>
> Tokyo> > <A
href="http://journeytoforever.org/">http://journeytoforever.org/>
>> > The Stoves List is Sponsored by> > Pyromid Inc. <A
href="http://www.pyromid.net">http://www.pyromid.net> > Stoves
Webpage, Charcoal, Activated Carbon> > <A
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> <A
href="http://www.crest.org/renewables/biomass-info/carbon.shtml">http://www.crest.org/renewables/biomass-info/carbon.shtml>
> Other Sponsors, Archive and Information> > <A
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> <A
href="http://www.crest.org/renewables/biomass-info/">http://www.crest.org/renewables/biomass-info/>
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>>

From jovick at island.net Thu Jan 18 08:38:52 2001
From: jovick at island.net (John Flottvik)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:45 2004
Subject: Charcoal
Message-ID: <000a01c08138$4222c320$6fb8fea9@computer>

 

January 18, 2001

Dear Matthew & Elsen

Have you a fax #. Your sawmill/charcoal/ greenhouse
combination idea is a great one.

I have an illustration of such a combination in my
business plan,but due my to very limited computer skills, I'm not able to send
by E mail. 

Best Regards  John
Flottvik

From jngilles at pap.care.org Thu Jan 18 16:00:52 2001
From: jngilles at pap.care.org (Jn-Gilles, Emile)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:45 2004
Subject: Stove testing? need help.
Message-ID: <05EEAD922063D411BA0100508B76A6890694AE@PAP_SERVER>

Hi stovers,
I am wondering what type of answers Adam Sebitt has received from his mail
on Stove testing. They would be really helpful to me. I have just bought 3
different size of kerosene stoves (made in Haiti, where I am living) and I
would like to do some testing by myself. They are gravity models, noisy but
2 with good flame and good heat.

How can I test the efficiency ? What are the procedures ? Do I need a water
boiling test or another type of test?

Thanks in advance for any help from anyone.

Emile J. Gilles

The Stoves List is Sponsored by
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From kchishol at fox.nstn.ca Thu Jan 18 23:05:25 2001
From: kchishol at fox.nstn.ca (Kevin Chisholm)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:45 2004
Subject: Stove testing? need help.
In-Reply-To: <05EEAD922063D411BA0100508B76A6890694AE@PAP_SERVER>
Message-ID: <NEBBLHHHOLFOEGCILKHECEIKCEAA.kchishol@fox.nstn.ca>

Dear Jn-Gilles

Given that you already have the three kerosene heaters, the "efficiency"
that you want to measure is, presumably, the combustion efficiency. That is
best done with a stack gas analysis.

You don't say if the kerosene heaters are cooking stoves or space heaters.
If they are space heaters, with the products of combustion venting into the
occupied space, then the factor of importance is whether or not there is any
sooting, indicating incompleteness of combustion. If there is any sooting,
then there may also be a potential for the presence of CO.

If they are cooking stoves, with the products of combustion vented outside
the living space, a stack gas temperature and gas analysis would give you an
overall "furnace efficiency". However, if you don't have access to gas
analysis equipment, the simplest crude measure of efficiency would be to run
each stove on a measured quantity of fuel, and note the stack temperature;
if they were of approximately the same capacity, then the stove with the
lowest stack temperature would have the best efficiency.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-stoves@crest.org [mailto:owner-stoves@crest.org]On Behalf Of
> Jn-Gilles, Emile
> Sent: Thursday, January 18, 2001 4:44 PM
> To: stoves@crest.org
> Subject: Stove testing? need help.
>
>
> Hi stovers,
> I am wondering what type of answers Adam Sebitt has received from his mail
> on Stove testing. They would be really helpful to me. I have
> just bought 3
> different size of kerosene stoves (made in Haiti, where I am living) and I
> would like to do some testing by myself. They are gravity models,
> noisy but
> 2 with good flame and good heat.
>
> How can I test the efficiency ? What are the procedures ? Do I
> need a water
> boiling test or another type of test?

If you could get an identical "boiling water test apparatus" for each stove,
then you could use this as a comparison. However, this would tell you what
stove worked best with your "boiling water test apparatus", moreso than what
stove was most efficient.

Unless you are very careful and unless you have a proper test set-up, I
don't think you will be able to get anything other than a qualitative
indication of the efficiencies of the three stoves.

Please let us know what you find.

Kevin Chisholm
>
> Thanks in advance for any help from anyone.
>
> Emile J. Gilles
>
> The Stoves List is Sponsored by
> Pyromid Inc. http://www.pyromid.net
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> http://www.crest.org/renewables/biomass-info/
> For information about CHAMBERS STOVES
> http://www.ikweb.com/enuff/public_html/Chamber.htm
>
>
>

The Stoves List is Sponsored by
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From verhaarp at janus.cqu.edu.au Fri Jan 19 07:26:10 2001
From: verhaarp at janus.cqu.edu.au (Peter Verhaart)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:46 2004
Subject: Stove testing? need help.
In-Reply-To: <05EEAD922063D411BA0100508B76A6890694AE@PAP_SERVER>
Message-ID: <5.0.2.1.2.20010119213754.00af8600@cqu.edu.au>

Years ago at the Eindhoven Woodburning Stove Group we tested a large number
of kerosene cookstoves.
For cooking (boiling) you need a power rating appropriate for the amount of
food cooked to bring the pan and its contents quickly to the boil.
After that you need just enough heating power to keep the pan and its
contents at boiling point. This is the so-called simmering stage.
To compare the stoves you weigh the stove, containing enough fuel for the
test, before lighting it.
The stove is lit and a pan with a known mass of water of known temperature
is placed upon it. The stove is turned up to full power. As soon as the
water in the pan has reached boiling point, the stove is extinguished and
weighed.
The pan is also weighed.
The heat transfer efficiency = (Mws * (100 - ts)*Cw +(Mws - Mwe)*He)/((Mks
- Mke)*Bk)

where: Mws mass of water at start
Mwe mass of water at the end
ts temperature of water at start in C
Cw specific heat capacity of water
He enthalpy of evaporation of water
Mks mass of stove at start
Mke mass of stove at the end
Bk heating value of kerosene.

It tells us how much of the heat produced by burning the calculated amount
of fuel has been transferred to the pan and its contents. If I memory
serves, quite a number of the multi wick stoves we tested reached 50 %.

During the simmering stage the stove should ideally be capable of burning
at such a low rate that the pan and its contents are just kept at boiling
point without producing any steam.
In this regard it is important that the stove can be turned down sufficiently.

Peter Verhaart

> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: owner-stoves@crest.org [mailto:owner-stoves@crest.org]On Behalf Of
> > Jn-Gilles, Emile
> > Sent: Thursday, January 18, 2001 4:44 PM
> > To: stoves@crest.org
> > Subject: Stove testing? need help.
> >
> >
> > Hi stovers,
> > I am wondering what type of answers Adam Sebitt has received from his mail
> > on Stove testing. They would be really helpful to me. I have
> > just bought 3
> > different size of kerosene stoves (made in Haiti, where I am living) and I
> > would like to do some testing by myself. They are gravity models,
> > noisy but
> > 2 with good flame and good heat.
> >
> > How can I test the efficiency ? What are the procedures ? Do I
> > need a water
> > boiling test or another type of test?

The Stoves List is Sponsored by
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For information about CHAMBERS STOVES
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From Reedtb2 at cs.com Fri Jan 19 08:53:48 2001
From: Reedtb2 at cs.com (Reedtb2@cs.com)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:46 2004
Subject: Sawdust stove
Message-ID: <9b.fb97204.27999d3e@cs.com>

I saw your sawdust stove description in gasification and am repeating it in
STOVES@CREST.ORG.  

Thanks for the clear description of the sawdust stove.  I tried a Girl Scout
one too, 20 years ago, but had forgotten most of the details.  

I think I'll try it this weekend more scientifically... (Weights, burn times,
etc.)  

Thanks,                 TOM REED
Hi Joel,

Many years back in my youth, I came across such a stove. This particular
version used a single hole in the centre of the bottom of the can. The
sawdust was first whetted, which allowed it to be tamped into the can around
a broomstick. The wet sawdust could be compressed a lot better than when
dry. The broomstick was then extracted and the stove was allowed to dry out.
This was done as a BOY SCOUT project. As far as I can remember the stove
gave off a gentle heat and was ideal for simmering a pot of stew, as it
burned for many hours.

Adding additional holes to the bottom would in all likelihood give a greater
heat and faster burn. Yes it was smokeless with the fuel just glowing around
the central vent and the ash falling through the central hole.

John Davies.

 

 

From dkammen at socrates.berkeley.edu Fri Jan 19 09:25:05 2001
From: dkammen at socrates.berkeley.edu (Daniel M. Kammen)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:46 2004
Subject: Stove testing? need help.
In-Reply-To: <05EEAD922063D411BA0100508B76A6890694AE@PAP_SERVER>
Message-ID: <a05001908b68dfa25a342@[216.175.90.237]>

My former student Majid Ezzati (now at the World Health
Organization and
Resources for the Future) and I have done a series of tests on
the
emissions from stoves (wood, charcoal burning) in  the
'burning' and
'smoldering' phases in Kenya.  We have also done additional
papers on the same issues in Mexico with Omar Masera

The results were published in Environmental Health
Perspectives, Environmental
Science & Technology (ES&T), and World
Development, and hopefully shortly
in The Lancet.

These papers are available at:

       
http://socrates.berkeley.edu/~rael/cookstkenya.html

       
http://socrates.berkeley.edu/~rael/papers.htm

- Dan

 

Years ago at the Eindhoven Woodburning
Stove Group we tested a large number of kerosene cookstoves.
For cooking (boiling) you need a power rating appropriate for the
amount of food cooked to bring the pan and its contents quickly to the
boil.
After that you need just enough heating power to keep the pan and its
contents at boiling point. This is the so-called simmering stage.
To compare the stoves you weigh the stove, containing enough fuel for
the test, before lighting it.
The stove is lit and a pan with a known mass of water of known
temperature is placed upon it. The stove is turned up to full power.
As soon as the water in the pan has reached boiling point, the stove
is extinguished and weighed.
The pan is also weighed.
The heat transfer efficiency = (Mws * (100 - ts)*Cw +(Mws -
Mwe)*He)/((Mks - Mke)*Bk)

where:  Mws     mass of water at start
Mwe    
mass of water at the end
ts     
temperature of water at start in C
Cw     
specific heat capacity of water
He     
enthalpy  of evaporation of water
Mks    
mass of stove at start
Mke    
mass of stove at the end
Bk     
heating value of kerosene.

It tells us how much of the heat produced by burning the calculated
amount of fuel has been transferred to the pan and its contents. If I
memory serves, quite a number of the multi wick stoves we tested
reached 50 %.

During the simmering stage the stove should ideally be capable of
burning at such a low rate that the pan and its contents are just kept
at boiling point without producing any steam.
In this regard it is important that the stove can be turned down
sufficiently.

Peter Verhaart
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-stoves@crest.org [mailto:owner-stoves@crest.org]On
Behalf Of
> Jn-Gilles, Emile
> Sent: Thursday, January 18, 2001 4:44 PM
> To: stoves@crest.org
> Subject: Stove testing? need help.
>
>
> Hi stovers,
> I am wondering what type of answers Adam Sebitt has received from
his mail
> on Stove testing. They would be really helpful to me.  I
have
> just bought 3
> different size of kerosene stoves (made in Haiti, where I am
living) and I
> would like to do some testing by myself. They are gravity
models,
> noisy but
> 2 with good flame and good heat.
>
> How can I test the efficiency ? What are the procedures ? Do
I
> need a water
> boiling test or another type of test?

The Stoves List is Sponsored by
Pyromid Inc. http://www.pyromid.net
Stoves Webpage, Charcoal, Activated Carbon
http://www.ikweb.com/enuff/public_html/Stoves.html
http://www.crest.org/renewables/biomass-info/carbon.shtml
Other Sponsors, Archive and Information
http://www.nrel.gov/bioam/
http://solstice.crest.org/renewables/stoves-list-archive/
http://www.crest.org/renewables/biomass-info/
For information about CHAMBERS STOVES
http://www.ikweb.com/enuff/public_html/Chamber.htm

--

 

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Daniel M. Kammen
Associate Professor of Energy and Society
Director, Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory (RAEL)
Energy and Resources Group (ERG)
310 Barrows Hall
University of California
Berkeley, CA 94720-3050

Tel: 510-642-1139 (Office)
Tel: 510-642-1640 (ERG Front Desk)
Fax: 510-642-1085 (ERG Fax)
Tel: 510-643-2243 (RAEL Phone & Fax)
Email: dkammen@socrates.berkeley.edu
Kammen      
http://socrates.berkeley.edu/~dkammen
RAEL      
http://socrates.berkeley.edu/~rael
ERG   http://socrates.berkeley.edu/erg
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

 

From ronallarson at qwest.net Fri Jan 19 12:48:58 2001
From: ronallarson at qwest.net (Ron Larson)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:46 2004
Subject: Fw: The New Guy
Message-ID: <06ea01c0823e$8153a620$557be13f@computer>

Stovers - Hope someone can help.

Blaine - Your message went to only a few people who are subscribed to
"stoves-digest". The digest reduces the mail a little bit, but not much.
Let me know if I should switch you over to "stoves". Ron

----- Original Message -----
From: Blaine S. <blaines@strata3d.com>
To: stoves-digest <owner-stoves-digest@crest.org>
Sent: Wednesday, January 10, 2001 10:00 AM
Subject: The New Guy

I'm new to the list. I subscribed for a couple of reasons, but mainly
because I want to build a wood-burning stove for my garage/patio. But I
don't just want any old stove. I want a stove that is energy efficient,
looks nice, and is easy and cheap to build. Though wood is bountiful in
this area, I don't want to be wasteful. So efficiency is of top priority.

I'm looking at making a barrel stove, if that helps, since I already have
the barrel. It's not your typical 55 Gallon drum, but rather it is a
heavy-gauge barrel with a bolt-on lid (US Army), with about a 10 gallon
capacity. It measures roughly 16" - 18" in diameter, and about 24" - 26"
high.

So I guess what I'm asking for is any papers written on what makes a stove
efficient, and possibly diagrams, etc. that might help me in improving the
design of my stove.

Thanks,

Blaine

 

The Stoves List is Sponsored by
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From Reedtb2 at cs.com Fri Jan 19 18:45:27 2001
From: Reedtb2 at cs.com (Reedtb2@cs.com)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:46 2004
Subject: Pellet stove
Message-ID: <a3.10b09667.279a27f6@cs.com>

With gas prices doubling, you may be interested in a new Canadian pellet
stove/water heater (120,000 Btu/hr) at

www.dell-point/1/1/*http://www.pelletstove.com

It is MUCH more efficient than the current models because it provides the
correct air/fuel ratio for combustion, rather than vast excess of air.  

It's called a Gas-a-Fire, but seems to be a more conventional pellet burner.  

With natural gas approaching $10/MBtu and pellets at $3 (by the ton), it may
justify its $2,000 cost.  

TOM REED

Of course it isn't nearly as nice as our gasifier stoves....

TOM REED    

Dr. Thomas B. Reed
President - The Biomass Energy Foundation
1810 Smith Rd., Golden, CO 80401
Reedtb2@cs.com;  303 278 0558;  www.woodgas.com

Research Director,
The Community Power Corporation,
8420 S. Continental Divide Rd., Suite 100
Littleton, CO 80127
303 933 3135;  treed@gocpc.com;  www.gocpc.com

Dr. Thomas B. Reed
President - The Biomass Energy Foundation
1810 Smith Rd., Golden, CO 80401
Reedtb2@cs.com;  303 278 0558;  www.woodgas.com

Research Director,
The Community Power Corporation,
8420 S. Continental Divide Rd., Suite 100
Littleton, CO 80127
303 933 3135;  treed@gocpc.com;  www.gocpc.com

From Reedtb2 at cs.com Fri Jan 19 18:46:00 2001
From: Reedtb2 at cs.com (Reedtb2@cs.com)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:46 2004
Subject: Pelletizing switchgrass, pine needles etc.
Message-ID: <4b.6535fe6.279a27f4@cs.com>

You probably know that I am a "densified biomass" enthusiast from way back
(see our book).

I have just read

Assessment of Pelletized Biofuels     R. Samson and P. Duxbury
Resource Efficient Agricultural Production-Canada
Box 125, Ste. Anne de Bellevue, Quebec, H9X 3V9
Tel 514-398-7743 Fax (514) 398-7972
reap@interlink.net

in collaboration with M. Drisdelle and C. Lapointe
DELL-POINT Bioenergy Research
3 rue Montmartre, Blainville, Quebec, J7V 2Z6
Tel (514) 331-6212
Fax (514) 331-9474
Drisdell@pelletstove.comApril 2000
at

http://www.reap.ca/Reports/pelletaug2000.html

and increased my knowledge of pelletizing and the use of pellets in
gasification3 fold.  

Recommend...

TOM REED

 

 

 

 

 

From Reedtb2 at cs.com Fri Jan 19 18:46:05 2001
From: Reedtb2 at cs.com (Reedtb2@cs.com)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:46 2004
Subject: Conquest of the Land Through Seven Thousand Years .. ha
Message-ID: <56.616cb68.279a2819@cs.com>

I have long considered the booklet

Conquest of the Land Through Seven Thousand Years
by
W. C. Lowdermilk

one of the all time greats of renewable biomass literature.  He wrote it just
after the U.S. conquered the dustbowl, to our everlasting credit.  Thanks for
the reference to it at

            
http://soilandhealth.org/01aglibrary/010113topsoilandciv/010113topsoil.toc.htm
l

which I have just reread with pleasure.  I'm thinking the the Biomass Energy
Foundation should distribute it (free?) with our books as we do with Trees by
Jean Giono.

Conquest of the Land...   ends with a blessing  

THOU SHALT INHERIT THE HOLY EARTH AS A FAITHFUL STEWARD, CONSERVING ITS
RESOURCES AND PRODUCTIVITY FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION. THOU SHALT
SAFEGUARD THY FIELDS FROM SOIL EROSION, THY LIVING WATERS FROM DRYING UP, THY
FORESTS FROM DESOLATION, AND PROTECT THY HILLS FROM OVERGRAZING BY THY HERDS,
THAT THY DESCENDANTS MAY HAVE ABUNDANCE FOREVER.

and a curse...
IF ANY SHALL FAIL IN THIS STEWARDSHIP OF THE LAND THY FRUITFUL FIELDS SHALL
BECOME STERILE STONY GROUND AND WASTING GULLIES, AND THY DESCENDANTS SHALL
DECREASE AND LIVE IN POVERTY OR PERISH FROM OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH

which we should all take to heart.

TOM REED           BEF PRESS

 

In a message dated 1/18/01 6:31:38 PM Mountain Standard Time,
keith@journeytoforever.org writes:

 

http://soilandhealth.org/01aglibrary/010113topsoilandciv/010113topsoil.toc.html

 

Dr. Thomas B. Reed
President - The Biomass Energy Foundation
1810 Smith Rd., Golden, CO 80401
Reedtb2@cs.com;  303 278 0558;  www.woodgas.com

Research Director,
The Community Power Corporation,
8420 S. Continental Divide Rd., Suite 100
Littleton, CO 80127
303 933 3135;  treed@gocpc.com;  www.gocpc.com

From Reedtb2 at cs.com Fri Jan 19 18:48:46 2001
From: Reedtb2 at cs.com (Reedtb2@cs.com)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:46 2004
Subject: Stove testing? need help.
Message-ID: <b6.10129a66.279a27fa@cs.com>

Pete's message about turndown should be important to all of us.  Most
woodstoves have a VERY low turndown ratio - once burning, wood burns.  Our
turbo stove is better - controlling the gasification air controls the gas
produced, hence the heat.

But what is the turndown for kerosene, and what are the emissions at the low
rate?

TOM REED

In a message dated 1/19/01 5:13:53 AM Mountain Standard Time,
verhaarp@janus.cqu.edu.au writes:

 

Years ago at the Eindhoven Woodburning Stove Group we tested a large number
of kerosene cookstoves.
For cooking (boiling) you need a power rating appropriate for the amount of
food cooked to bring the pan and its contents quickly to the boil.
After that you need just enough heating power to keep the pan and its
contents at boiling point. This is the so-called simmering stage.
To compare the stoves you weigh the stove, containing enough fuel for the
test, before lighting it.
The stove is lit and a pan with a known mass of water of known temperature
is placed upon it. The stove is turned up to full power. As soon as the
water in the pan has reached boiling point, the stove is extinguished and
weighed.
The pan is also weighed.
The heat transfer efficiency = (Mws * (100 - ts)*Cw +(Mws - Mwe)*He)/((Mks
- Mke)*Bk)

where:  Mws     mass of water at start
Mwe     mass of water at the end
ts      temperature of water at start in C
Cw      specific heat capacity of water
He      enthalpy  of evaporation of water
Mks     mass of stove at start
Mke     mass of stove at the end
Bk      heating value of kerosene.

It tells us how much of the heat produced by burning the calculated amount
of fuel has been transferred to the pan and its contents. If I memory
serves, quite a number of the multi wick stoves we tested reached 50 %.

During the simmering stage the stove should ideally be capable of burning
at such a low rate that the pan and its contents are just kept at boiling
point without producing any steam.
In this regard it is important that the stove can be turned down
sufficiently.

Peter Verhaart

 

 

From ronallarson at qwest.net Sun Jan 21 00:04:13 2001
From: ronallarson at qwest.net (Ron Larson)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:46 2004
Subject: Fw: Introduction from Ken Brauer on Nepalese conditions
Message-ID: <018801c08365$ee8987a0$487be13f@computer>

 

Stovers:
This is a nice introduction from
a new member - with a serious stoves problem in Nepal.  Ideas?

Ken:
Generally we have avoided the
subject of solar cookers on this list, but I wonder if a location at 14,000 feet
isn't a good place to consider these.  What has been your experience with
introduction?  Are you using box-type or concentrators?  What cost can
be afforded?

We have had a lot of discussion
on this list of charcoal-making stoves that are much cleaner burning than what
you are using.  My experience is that they did a very poor job with dung as
a fuel.  Maybe digesters make sense as a better way to utilize
dung?

Please keep us informed of what you learn. 
Glad to receive your introduction.

Ron

 

 

----- Original Message -----
From: <A
href="mailto:nomad@drokpa.org" title=nomad@drokpa.org>Ken Bauer
To: <A href="mailto:ronallarson@qwest.net"
title=ronallarson@qwest.net>Ron Larson
Sent: Saturday, January 20, 2001 12:24 PM
Subject: Re: Welcome to "stoves"

Hi Ron:
Thanks for your email and for being the list coordinator for
stoves. Below is my introduction.

Hello. I'm Ken Bauer, president of a non-profit called DROKPA
("nomad" in Tibetan). We are working with pastoral communities in Nepal to
disseminate alternative energy - solar cookers and solar lights, specifically.
The mountain environments where we work are largely treeless, villages at 14,000
feet that depend on yak and goat dung, as well as thorny shrubs for fuel.
Respiratory and eye diseases are chronic amongst these mountain communities.
Homes are stone fortresses with a drafty door and a hole in the roof for
ventilation. Stoves currently used tend to be simple three prong metal stands,
with your occassional tin can model.

I am curious to know whether other members of this list have
worked on promoting alternative energy or fuel efficient technologies in similar
environments, both culturally and physically. I look forward to learning from
your experiences.
Thanks!

<BLOCKQUOTE
style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px">
----- Original Message -----
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black">From:
Ron
Larson
To: <A
href="mailto:dougselby@hotmail.com"
title=dougselby@hotmail.com>dougselby@hotmail.com ; <A
href="mailto:nomad@drokpa.org" title=nomad@drokpa.org>; <A
href="mailto:tim@ourfarmstead.com" title=tim@ourfarmstead.com>
Sent: Friday, January 19, 2001 7:42
PM
Subject: Welcome to "stoves"

Hi - Doug, "Nomad", tim


Glad to see your new subscriptions to
"stoves".  We are somewhat more than 200 members from probably 35 or more
countries.  As you probably know, we concentrate on trying to improve
simple third world cookstoves - with occasional discussions also of
charcoaling and a few other topics.  We try to avoid promoting commercial
products.

Please let me know if I
can answer any questions about our past discussions (all on the web
archives).

Whenever you feel ready,
pleae introduce yourself to the full list - perhaps through a question if you
wish.

Again - welcome.

Ron (Volunteer stoves" list coordinator)

From dstill at epud.org Sun Jan 21 01:26:52 2001
From: dstill at epud.org (Dean Still)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:46 2004
Subject: A Haybox suggestion to Ken Brauer
Message-ID: <000f01f7691c$e98b9620$242b74d8@default>

 

Dear Ken,

Have you checked out the haybox or retained heat
cooker?

The Haybox has the potential to both save fuel and decrease
exposure to smoke. If the boiling pot of food is placed in a well insulated,
airtight box food continues to cook without the addition of more heat: ends long
simmering. Theoretically, the Haybox can save more fuel than the introduction of
even a very improved cookstove. And it's simple, inexpensive to construct, makes
cooking simpler. It's better if the insulation is either waterproof or protected
from moisture and has an R rating of 7 or more to cook beans.

Insulation is trapped air, small amounts of air separated from
other small amounts of air by a lightweight, relatively non conductive material.
Found examples include: wool, feathers, cork, ashes, sponge, etc. Heavy
materials like earth, sand, clay are poor insulators and will not resist the
passage of heat.

All the best,

Dean Still
Aprovecho Research Center

From heat-win at cwcom.net Sun Jan 21 02:25:26 2001
From: heat-win at cwcom.net (Thomas J Stubbing)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:46 2004
Subject: Fw: Introduction from Ken Brauer on Nepalese conditions
In-Reply-To: <018801c08365$ee8987a0$487be13f@computer>
Message-ID: <3A6A8B00.920B8D67@cwcom.net>

Dear Ron and Stoves,

While receiving my e-mails this morning Norton Antivirus blocked and
quarantined Ron's message with the above heading and when I deleted it
substituted the following:

> This file: "Unknown1236.data" was infected with the:
> "WScript.KakWorm.dr" virus. The file was quarantined by Norton
> AntiVirus. Sunday, January 21, 2001 06:40

I hope my sending you this will help you to prevent damage to your
systems.

Regards,

Thomas

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From keith at journeytoforever.org Sun Jan 21 09:46:29 2001
From: keith at journeytoforever.org (Keith Addison)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:46 2004
Subject: Conquest of the Land Through Seven Thousand Years .. ha
In-Reply-To: <56.616cb68.279a2819@cs.com>
Message-ID: <v0421010cb6902dfb3294@[211.133.19.92]>

Dear Tom

I'm so glad you like this book. I fully agree with your assessment of
it, truly a buried classic. Having read Lowdermilk and Dale & Carter
(who borrow from Lowdermilk), and also Edward Hyams' "Soil &
Civilization" and a few others, revisiting a work like Toynbee's "A
Study of History" is a real eye-opener: if Toynbee had read
Lowdermilk his view would have been rather different. Or maybe not
that different, but certainly much better.

>Dear Keith, Steve and all:
>
>I have long considered the booklet
>
>Conquest of the Land Through Seven Thousand Years
>by
>W. C. Lowdermilk
>
>
>one of the all time greats of renewable biomass literature. He wrote it just
>after the U.S. conquered the dustbowl, to our everlasting credit. Thanks for
>the reference to it at
>
>
>http://soilandhealth.org/01aglibrary/010113topsoilandciv/010113topsoi
>l.toc.html
>
>
>which I have just reread with pleasure. I'm thinking the the Biomass Energy
>Foundation should distribute it (free?) with our books as we do with Trees by
>Jean Giono.

They'd certainly make a good pair. It would be excellent if you could do that.

>Conquest of the Land... ends with a blessing
>
>THOU SHALT INHERIT THE HOLY EARTH AS A FAITHFUL STEWARD, CONSERVING ITS
>RESOURCES AND PRODUCTIVITY FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION. THOU SHALT
>SAFEGUARD THY FIELDS FROM SOIL EROSION, THY LIVING WATERS FROM DRYING UP, THY
>FORESTS FROM DESOLATION, AND PROTECT THY HILLS FROM OVERGRAZING BY THY HERDS,
>THAT THY DESCENDANTS MAY HAVE ABUNDANCE FOREVER.
>
>and a curse...
>IF ANY SHALL FAIL IN THIS STEWARDSHIP OF THE LAND THY FRUITFUL FIELDS SHALL
>BECOME STERILE STONY GROUND AND WASTING GULLIES, AND THY DESCENDANTS SHALL
>DECREASE AND LIVE IN POVERTY OR PERISH FROM OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH
>
>which we should all take to heart.

Yes! Maybe not just "should" though: must, or else?

Best wishes

Keith Addison

>
>TOM REED BEF PRESS
>
>
>
>
>In a message dated 1/18/01 6:31:38 PM Mountain Standard Time,
>keith@journeytoforever.org writes:
>
>
>>
>>
>>http://soilandhealth.org/01aglibrary/010113topsoilandciv/010113topso
>>il.toc.html
>>
>
>
>
>
>Dr. Thomas B. Reed
>President - The Biomass Energy Foundation
>1810 Smith Rd., Golden, CO 80401
>Reedtb2@cs.com; 303 278 0558; www.woodgas.com
>
>Research Director,
>The Community Power Corporation,
>8420 S. Continental Divide Rd., Suite 100
>Littleton, CO 80127
>303 933 3135; treed@gocpc.com; www.gocpc.com

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From Reedtb2 at cs.com Sun Jan 21 10:28:20 2001
From: Reedtb2 at cs.com (Reedtb2@cs.com)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:46 2004
Subject: Concrete Insulations...
Message-ID: <51.6683185.279c5645@cs.com>

What a lifetime of experience.   

Ideally I would like to test a few recipes for insulating concrete or the
"refractory mortar" you mention. Maybe Gretchen Larson can help.  She  
operates a pottery kiln and made some vermiculite and perlite bricks for me a
while back.  

We could all use a better high temperature (refractory), high insulation,
convenient, cheap material.

TOM REED

 

In a message dated 1/20/01 3:02:05 PM Mountain Standard Time,
ericbj@club-internet.fr writes:

 

 Reedtb2@cs.com a écrit:
Wow, the papercrete sounds great and I too will make some this weekend.
...
The Asian Institute of technology (AIT) and Bob Reines have been pushing
"ferrocement" as a construction material for gasifiers (and could be
stoves).
"Ferrocement" seems to be wire mesh with cement around it.  No good stuff
yet on refractory properties.
Ferro-cement :
My domestic heating consists of cheap, cylindrical, thin-walled
steel stoves burning oak logs, the usual fuel in country areas round
here (the foothills of the Pyrenees).  I have lined these stoves using
refractory mortar, 'ready-mixed' and doubtless containing high
alumina cement, of the type sold by builders' merchants for
barbecues etc.  This is built up on the inside of the stove walls on
expanded metal lath, which is self-supporting and provides a better
key than multiple layers of chicken-wire mesh.  The smallest of
these stoves has seen twelve years' service, and last summer I
hastily, and probably unnecessarily, patched up some minor cracks
in the refractory lining.
Advantages of refractory lining in stoves :-
1.   Stove does not glow red hot.  The smallest stove is in my
caravan and is within 8 inches of the bed.  (Incidentally, the
caravan is strictly non-mobile, being encapsulated in ferro-cement.
The motive for this :  it was falling apart ; but it has also greatly
improved the comfort.  The very fine steel mesh off old beds was
used for this and is ideal ; and free)
2.   Gives a much more constant heat output
3.   Damp wood 'takes' better
4.   More economical, since better control over rate of burning.
If wood is dry, stove well heated, and red embers are present, one
can burn a single log at a time.  It glows away like a cigar.
5.   Steel walls of stove do not burn through
6.   Continues to give out heat long after the stove has gone
out.  With the one in the caravan this is especially so, since the flue
pipe at the rear is packed round with the very dense bricks from an
old electric night-storage heater, picked up at a scrap yard..
Gas-producers :
One of my neighbours, a retired old peasant farmer, who as a
young man, in November 1943, took to the maquis to escape
forced labour in Germany, tells me the much sought-after fuel for
gazogènes (gas producers) fitted to vehicles in those days was
'green' - i.e. unseasoned - beech logs.  As mentioned, the main
domestic fuel here is oak logs, preferably seasoned.  He insists this
was much the most suitable fuel :  beech, and 'green'.  Could this
be because beech is more combustible than oak ? Beech is too
combustible to be much good on an open hearth  while oak beams
commonly survive a house that burns down. ; they are more fire
resistant than steel girders, which twist and collapse.  But why
unseasoned ?  Adds steam, to make more gas ?
One of the wine 'caves' in Limoux, the nearest town, was still
running a gazogène lorry as recently as the early '80s.
Insulation :
Some years ago, after insulating a cavity wall with lightweight
'concrete', at great expense owing to the cost of the expanded
mineral, I turned to using a sawdust-cement mortar to insulate
under a floor.  The sawdust was donated free by a local sawmill.
Not having time to experiment, I probably used far more cement
than was necessary.  Some of the mix left over was left outside in
all weathers and showed scant sign of deterioration over years of
exposure.  While many commercial insulating materials may have
desirably low lambda values while they last, if my experience is
anything to go by, they do not last long if there are vermin around.
However I have no idea of the resistance to high temperatures of
cement-sawdust 'concrete'.

 

 

From english at adan.kingston.net Sun Jan 21 13:40:29 2001
From: english at adan.kingston.net (*.English)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:46 2004
Subject: Pellet stove and Pelletizing Switch Grass
Message-ID: <200101211826.NAA24088@adan.kingston.net>

 

Dear Tom,
The stove you mention below is not quite a "conventional" pellet
burner. Aside from being clean burning and efficient, it has been
designed to handle high ash pellets as well as the regular pellets.
That's what makes it even more unique and relevant.

It ties in with the recent conference in Pune on Biomass -based
Fuels and Cooking Systems and the recent discussion about carbonizing
bagasse and and other crop residues. Both the Appropriate Rural
Technology Institute in India and the Resource Efficient Agriculture
Production Canada seek to bring new profitable opportunities to
farmers in an effort to sustainably revitalized rural economies.
REAP's new initiative in conjuction with DELL-POINT Bioenergy
Research in Canada, has also extended to looking at possible
applications for pelletizing crop residues in the tropics (In this
case the Philippines). It is clear from Elsen and co at Chardust and
from talking to the Karve's at ARTI that they consider these options
expensive both in term of energy and capital. They both realize the
enormous unused potential that is often going to waste when residues
are burned in the field or harmfully for cooking and have developed
practical low tech ways of capturing some of that potential as
charcoal. They are looking at wroughly a 10% net energy yield for
cooking fuel uses while reducing pollution when compared to field
burning and tradition kiln methods and also reducing pressure on
wood resources. If REAP is right the 7% energy invested in pelleting
could possibly double the net energy yield for cooking not to mention
all the other higher efficiency applications which start to become
possible when biomass is burned almost as effectively as fossil
fuels.

I grant you that not all the pieces are in place in terms of
appropriate technologies, but I know your working on it, and so am I
for what it is worth. I look forward to REAP's further exploration
of the economies of pelleting and I hope that the folks at Chardust
and ARTI will have a look at REAP's work and comment.
See www.reap.ca

If all previous attempts have failed, why? and what might be
different now?

One possible difference is that if you could market to
replace the now higher priced fossil fuels within the small
commercial sector and then the new fuels and technologies may spin
off down to cooking stoves as the local economy starts to benefit
from being it's own energy supplier. Remember the man who builds the
improved stoves in Pune, he installed one in his tea shop first, soon
the customers wanted more than just tea.

Alex English

 

 

 

> Dear All:
>
> With gas prices doubling, you may be interested in a new Canadian pellet
> stove/water heater (120,000 Btu/hr) at
>
> www.dell-point/1/1/*http://www.pelletstove.com
>
> It is MUCH more efficient than the current models because it provides the
> correct air/fuel ratio for combustion, rather than vast excess of air.
>
> It's called a Gas-a-Fire, but seems to be a more conventional pellet burner.
>
> With natural gas approaching $10/MBtu and pellets at $3 (by the ton), it may
> justify its $2,000 cost.
>
> TOM REED
>
>
> Of course it isn't nearly as nice as our gasifier stoves....
>
> TOM REED
>
>
> Dr. Thomas B. Reed
> President - The Biomass Energy Foundation
> 1810 Smith Rd., Golden, CO 80401
> Reedtb2@cs.com; 303 278 0558; www.woodgas.com
>
> Research Director,
> The Community Power Corporation,
> 8420 S. Continental Divide Rd., Suite 100
> Littleton, CO 80127
> 303 933 3135; treed@gocpc.com; www.gocpc.com
>
> Dr. Thomas B. Reed
> President - The Biomass Energy Foundation
> 1810 Smith Rd., Golden, CO 80401
> Reedtb2@cs.com; 303 278 0558; www.woodgas.com
>
> Research Director,
> The Community Power Corporation,
> 8420 S. Continental Divide Rd., Suite 100
> Littleton, CO 80127
> 303 933 3135; treed@gocpc.com; www.gocpc.com
>
>
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From carbex at rdsor.ro Sun Jan 21 15:47:25 2001
From: carbex at rdsor.ro (Cornel Ticarat)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:46 2004
Subject: Charcoal production
Message-ID: <200101212047.PAA32545@crest.solarhost.com>

To all those involved in charcoal production:

I have recently finished the constructing of a retort for charcoal
production using the principle of indirect heating.
I am using freshly cutted beech wood, cutted in pieces of about 25 cm long
and about 10 cm thick. The capacity of the retort is 2 cubic meters.
The fuel I use for starting the process and drying the wood in the first
stage of the process (drying stage) is also freshly cutted beech wood.
My questions are:

1) Does anybody know when have I to stop the carbonization process, i.e.
when the charcoal has reached to the following parameters (with
aproximation):
- ash: 2.5 %
- moisture content: 6 %
- fix carbon: 77 %
- calorical capacity: 7500 kcal/kg

2) Does anybody know which are the parameters for charcoal as indicated in
DIN 51749 (Deutsche Industrie Normen) ?

Best regards to all,

Cornel Ticarat
Romania

 

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From ronallarson at qwest.net Mon Jan 22 00:15:49 2001
From: ronallarson at qwest.net (Ron Larson)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:46 2004
Subject: Fw: Stubbing
Message-ID: <000f01c08430$bd453560$9c7ae13f@computer>

Stovers:
I am afraid that I may hve been responsible for sending some of you a
virus. It is known by various names that include the letters "KAK". I
presume I received it within the last few days. The "Norton" website says
it was first discovered on Dec. 30, 1999 and is only transferred if you use
"Outlook Express" (which I have been using now for about 3 weeks). It comes
through the "signature" feature - not through attachments.

I would not normally send this to this list - except you must have
already gotten it, if you were going to get it. I went to a microsoft site
recommended by Norton, and have installed a fix.. However, I have not yet
understood everything about this virus and probably have another several
hours to make sure I have done all the right things.

Messages like Tom's have come in from three other web servers.

The other thing I learned is that the virus announces itself on the first
of every month at 5:00 PM. Better try to watch out for this at least on
that day. Better is to look up the Norton (or other) site and look for
"Kak"

Sorry for causing problems. Tomorrow I add a service ($1.50 per month)
to keep these out of my incoming mail.

Tom (and others). Thanks for bringing this to my attention.

Ron

----- Original Message -----
From: Ron Larson <ronallarson@qwest.net>
To: Thomas J Stubbing <heat-win@cwcom.net>
Sent: Sunday, January 21, 2001 1:30 PM
Subject: Re: Fw: Introduction from Ken Brauer on Nepalese conditions

> Thomas:
>
> Thanks for this message, which I also received - but from "crest", I
> thought. I never saw any attachments. Anyone able to help explain how
this
> slips by folks at "crest"? I thought we had no attachments through
"crest".
> Any explanations from anyone? The message from Brauer didn't have any I
> think. I didn't add anything.
>
> Ron
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Thomas J Stubbing <heat-win@cwcom.net>
> To: Ron Larson <ronallarson@qwest.net>
> Cc: <stoves@crest.org>
> Sent: Sunday, January 21, 2001 12:08 AM
> Subject: Re: Fw: Introduction from Ken Brauer on Nepalese conditions
>
>
> > Dear Ron and Stoves,
> >
> > While receiving my e-mails this morning Norton Antivirus blocked and
> > quarantined Ron's message with the above heading and when I deleted it
> > substituted the following:
> >
> > > This file: "Unknown1236.data" was infected with the:
> > > "WScript.KakWorm.dr" virus. The file was quarantined by Norton
> > > AntiVirus. Sunday, January 21, 2001 06:40
> >
> > I hope my sending you this will help you to prevent damage to your
> > systems.
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > Thomas
> >
> >
> >
>

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From calsch at montana.com Mon Jan 22 10:55:17 2001
From: calsch at montana.com (Cal Schindel)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:46 2004
Subject: A Stove I built
Message-ID: <3A6C5425.B85E93C@montana.com>

About twenty years ago I built a stove which fits some of the material
mentioned on this list. I had an old Marks engineering book which I
referred to for temperature ratings of material so I knew as Harry
Parker said that Portland cement was the weak item.

I used sand, a small amount of bubble soap as a surfactant and bubble
entrapment, pearlite beads, and rock wool insulation which I pulled
apart into small tufts by hand, and portland cement. I did not measure
anything and just relied on my extensive experience with concrete to
get a "feel" for the mix.

I used a 30 gallon drum inside a 55 gal drum. The 30 gal drum is also
shorter which allowed room for a flattened 6 inch chimney pipe sleeve
in the bottom of the 55 gal drum which served as a secondary burning
chamber. I had a secondary air source which was a schedule 40 2" black
pipe feeding over the top of the fire box and down at the back to right
in front of the secondary burning hole which was at the bottom of the
fire box. The smoke would rise into a second 55 gal drum which was
unlined and mounted above the main stove and served as a heat exchange.
In operation, I was able to shut primary air down to near zero opening
and secondary air adjustable as needed. Several times I removed the
adjustment cap to the 2 inch secondary air pipe and looked in to see
it glowing red which means that the air to the rear of the fire box
was really hot. It displayed a significant draw with a fairly rapid
flow of air with the cap removed.

I also had a guillotine slide and another shortcut chimney into the
heat exchange at the front of the stove. This helps with smoke removal
when opening the door to feed wood and did work fairly well.

After two years use, the inner barrel was warping significantly and
at the end of the third year this warpage was preventing good operation
of the unit and I felt becoming somewhat of a safety hazard so I
discarded the entire unit.

My conclusions were that the overall design was decent and the smoke
was minimal and quite clean but that the inner lining needs to be
entirely of ceramic, fire clay or some such material. The portland
cement mix was very friable and if directly exposed to wood loading
would have broken out in chunks. With a claw hammer I could dig out
pieces of the lining with ease. But the first line of failure was the
inner drum warping.

For what it is worth, Cal

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From ronallarson at qwest.net Mon Jan 22 13:47:36 2001
From: ronallarson at qwest.net (Ron Larson)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:46 2004
Subject: KAK virus
Message-ID: <003401c084a2$1ff6a4c0$9379e13f@computer>

 

Stovers: 
I seem to be "clean" now. 
I suggest you all try a "find" for all files labeled "*.kak".  I found one
this morning (but didn't delete it based on warnings from last night). 
Then I downloaded a (free, I think) "Norton" fix for this specific virus and the
single file I found (about  1 kilobyte) miraculously disappeared (and maybe
some others).

The file seemed to arrive on January 7, but I
think I only opened it a few days ago.  Whatever it was that brought it in
I do not know as I cleaned up my deleted files a few days ago
also.

Again - I am sorry for any difficulty I may
have caused others.  I have updated my own security system and have also
signed up for the "qwest" security service ($1.50 per
month).

Whew!!

Ron

 

From heat-win at cwcom.net Tue Jan 23 02:25:41 2001
From: heat-win at cwcom.net (Thomas J Stubbing)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:46 2004
Subject: KAK virus
In-Reply-To: <003401c084a2$1ff6a4c0$9379e13f@computer>
Message-ID: <3A6D2DFD.E5DE4BB1@cwcom.net>

Dear Ron,

It appears that yesterday you sent another message to 'stoves' and
myself under the above heading about the virus which itself contained it
and my Norton Antivirus 2001 stopped!

Good luck with getting it out of your system!

Regards,

Thomas

Ron Larson wrote:

> This file: "Unknown09e8.data" was infected with the:
> "WScript.KakWorm.dr" virus. The file was quarantined by Norton
> AntiVirus. Tuesday, January 23, 2001 06:24

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From Reedtb2 at cs.com Wed Jan 24 09:31:06 2001
From: Reedtb2 at cs.com (Reedtb2@cs.com)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:46 2004
Subject: Use of Kaowool fibres
Message-ID: <72.7342a0e.27a0416e@cs.com>

I believe Kaowool is one trade name for a host of fibrous insulation made
from spun mullite (an alumino-silicate mineral).  It melts above 1500 C and
is both an excellent refractory and has very low thermal conductivity.  

Thanks for the info...  I have certainly had a dry cough for a day or two
after working with Kaowool, riser sleeves etc.  On the other hand, I've used
these materials for 40 years and still play racketball and tennis, so I won't
give them up until there is more evidence of problems or a better material
comes along.  

Depending on how big the vessel being insulated I will always at least wear a
face mask - maybe a body suit for big jobs like our SeaSweep insulation.  

I'll pass this info along to our team and to the GASIFICATION/STOVE guys
(whoops, people).

Thanks,                                   TOM REED

TOM REED

In a message dated 1/24/01 6:38:25 AM Mountain Standard Time,
claush@mek.dtu.dk writes:

Hi Tom and all

You asked for information on the carcinogenic properties of Kaowool.

I have not consulted the scientific evidence, but I can refer to our internal
"Workingplace instructions" at the Danish Technical University. It again
refers to papers from the national institution in the area "Arbejdstilsynet"
dated december 1996 on Kaowool. "At-manual no. 3.1.0.2 december 96".

>From february 1997, danish users of Kaowool should produce written proof,
that Kaowool cannot be substituted for their purpose.

I translate breafly from the DTU-paper:

 

RESPIRATION:
Acute : Irritation
Long term: Cancer. Tumors in lung-tissue. Continuing degradation after
exposiure. Dry coughing. Chestaces. Total inabillity to work. Maybe death.

SKIN:
Acute: Irritation
Long term: Unknown

EYES:
Long term: Blurred vision.

PRECAUTIONS:
Respiration filter P2 or externally supplied breathing air.
Access to eye-washing equipment. Avoid contact lenses.
Clothing must be tight by neck, hands and legs.
Plastic-gloves.

We use full-body suits and fresh-air masks, when forced to work with
Kaowool.

Sincerly
Claus Hindsgaul

 

 

From english at adan.kingston.net Fri Jan 26 21:57:40 2001
From: english at adan.kingston.net (*.English)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:46 2004
Subject: Webpage update
Message-ID: <200101270301.WAA30907@adan.kingston.net>

Dear Stovers,
Please check out the NEW link to Chardust on the stoves web page, and
a picture taken by Paul Hait, in the NEWS section, of some of the
people who first met through this mailing list, especially
Dr. Yury Yudkevitch who shared his practical knowledge of charcoal
production methods and Dr. Priyadarshini Karve who developed those
ideas in to a simple working model for carbonizing sugar cane
trash.

Alex

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From jpmanley at midcoast.com Sun Jan 28 06:40:49 2001
From: jpmanley at midcoast.com (Pat Manley)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:46 2004
Subject: Masons on a Mission
Message-ID: <200101281143.GAA17174@dns.midcoast.com>

Hello stovers
On Thursday, Feb 1st, 2001, Tom Clarke (Guatemala Stove Project) and myself
(Patrick Manley- Masons on a Mission) will be flying to Guatemala for over a
month to lead over a dozen volunteer masons and helpers from the US and
Canada, and 3 or 4 local Maya masons to replace over 100 three stone fires
in the small village of el Rincon (near Xela) with hand built brick and
block cookstoves. This is a small village, and we may be able to build a new
cookstove in every dwelling in the village.
All the materials for this project will be bought in Guatemala with money
that Tom and I have raised over the past year.
Tom and I went to the relocated village of Santa Catarina Ixtahuacan last
year and managed to build 26 cookstoves.
Fellow Canadian stover Norbert Senf is one of our 6 volunteer masons this year.

If anyone is interested in learning more about our project, please visit my
web site at http://www.midcoast.com/masonsonamission

If anyone wants to be copied in on progress reports e-mailed out over the
course of the project, just reply to me and I will add you to my list.
Su Amigo
Pat Manley
J Patrick Manley
Brick Stove Works
15 Nelson Ridge South
Washington Maine 04574
207 845 2440

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From jpmanley at midcoast.com Mon Jan 29 04:18:10 2001
From: jpmanley at midcoast.com (Pat Manley)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:46 2004
Subject: Masons on a Mission/ Lets us know.
Message-ID: <200101290920.EAA15645@dns.midcoast.com>

Hi Paul
The cost of having each stovetop fabricated in Xela is about $20. The
dimension is approx 16 inches by 32 inches.
Even though I will be leaving on the first of Feb, my wife will be
depositing any donations that arrive into a bank account set up here in
Maine, that I can withdraw with my debit card from banks in Xela.
Any contributions are most welcome.
Su Amigo
Pat

....Original message.....
>Dear Pat,
>
>What is the top dimension of your stove? I will donate the money to buy a
>top plate for cooking. This should be the minimum of what the list members
>should do to help you. One top plate per list member. Let me know and God
>Bless you guys. You humble all of us. Good Luck!
>
>Sincerely,
>Paul Hait
>Pyromid Inc.
J Patrick Manley
Brick Stove Works
15 Nelson Ridge South
Washington Maine 04574
207 845 2440

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From rdboyt at yahoo.com Mon Jan 29 09:24:07 2001
From: rdboyt at yahoo.com (Richard Boyt)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:36:46 2004
Subject: SS Combustion Chamber Liner
Message-ID: <20010129142607.19365.qmail@web617.mail.yahoo.com>

Small stove experimenters,

The greatest attrition to the materials used in
building my tin can stoves has been to the thin metal
combustion chambers which usually get red hot during a
burn and causes them to slowly scale away as they
oxidize. An inside liner of very thin stainless steel
can serve to buffer both the intense heat and reduce
the availability of oxygen to the surface of the tin
can. The New Enco catalog, 400 Nevada Pacific Hwy,
Fernley, NV 89408, 1-800-use-enco, www.use-enco.com
lists .002" soft annealed 321 stainless, 100 sg. ft.
for $78.99, 200 sq. ft. for $139. 99. It is advertised
as a tool wrap to be used as an envelope for heat
treating steel tools while protecting them from
scaling at temps up to 2000 F. It is easily cut with
sissors, and bent to shape.

Another less expensive, though less effective way to
slow scale formation is to paint the surfaces of the
tin can liner with a thin layer of clay which tends to
isolate the surfaces from air. Thin sticks better than
thick but may need frequent reapplication.

Experiments are continuing on combinations of clay
with various other materials to serve as high temp
combustion chamber liners and light weight rigid bulk
stove body insulations.

Hope this proves useful to someone.
Richard Boyt
20479 Panda, Neosho, MO 64850

 

 

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