[Terrapreta] torrified wood vs. charcoal

[Gerald Van Koeverden]

As far as quality, you are correct, torrefied wood burns faster than  
charcoal:

"A survey carried out among 180 consumers comparing torrefied wood  
and charcoal.


Nature, appearance and cleanness were considered to be satisfactory.

Kindling was considered to be easy or very easy, in clear opposition  
to charcoal kindling.

Glowing embers were considered to form more rapidly

The product appears to be more appropriate to brisk cooking.

Absence of smoke during cooking was noted almost unanimously."

http://www.techtp.com/tw%20papers/fao_paper.htm

But for those in developing countries who make charcoal strictly for  
cooking, they would get more energy from the same wood since less is  
lost in the carbonization process.  90% of the original energy is  
still in torrefied wood, as opposed to 60% (?) in the charcoal  
product.   Of course, torrefied wood might require developing a  
different stove to optimize cooking times.

Gerald


On 11-Feb-08, at 11:47 PM, Greg and April wrote:

> Grrrrr - one of these days I'll remember to hit 'Reply All'.
>
> Anyway -
>
> Doubtful.
>
> Part of the lure of charcoal, is a low even heat, with little in  
> the way of smoke ( unless it's on purpose ), if you want a high  
> energy fuel you may as well use propane.
>
>  While it may be roasted, I don't think that volatile materials  
> have been fully driven off - just in part ( the lower temperature  
> material ).    In the case of specialty hardwoods, like apple or  
> hickory, that's actually a part of what gives the food it's flavor  
> and if a part of it has been driven off, it then the final product  
> is going to suffer.
>
> Greg H.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Gerald Van Koeverden
> To: Terra Preta
> Sent: Monday, February 11, 2008 13:09
> Subject: [Terrapreta] torrified wood vs. charcoal
>
> Is torrefied wood going to replace charcoal in our barbecues?  It  
> seems to be both more energy efficient and less polluting...
>
> Gerrit
>
> B: Torrefied Wood, Energy For The Future
> At a global level, renewable energy is of increasing importance  
> because of the greenhouse effect. Emissions from the burning of  
> fossil fuels must be reduced, so alternative fuels are needed.  
> Torrefied wood can be burnt in a conventional coal-fired power  
> station.
> But what is torrefied wood? The word comes from the French ‘bois  
> torréfié’, which means “roasted wood”. This means that the first  
> stage of carbonisation has taken place, without reaching the stage  
> of charcoal.
> Why pre-treat wood in this way, instead of burning it directly, for  
> example in a bioenergy power station? Thanks to roasting, the fuel  
> is better than ordinary biomass. Torrefied wood is wood that has  
> undergone thermal drying and has a relatively high energy potential  
> (20-22 MJ/kg), and is suitable for grinding in coal-grinding mills.  
> It has an excellent combustion rate and low emissions. Moreover it  
> is easy to store, even outdoors, since it is hydrophobic. Transport  
> is relatively cheap.
> Initial tests (phase I of the project) were carried out in 2003 in  
> the Netherlands and Britain.
>
>
> Results were very positive.
> After the positive outcome of phase I, the partners in the project,  
> BGP Ingenieursbureau BV and Stramproy Contracting BV, decided to  
> continue. Phase II is currently in progress. The aim is to produce  
> large quantities of torrefied wood. It is produced in a continuous  
> process plant which can produce a tonne of torrefied wood per hour.
> Many sectors of industry could be interested in this innovation,  
> especially because of the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol,  
> which allows mixed biofuels to be offset against CO2 emissions.
> In future, it is believed that production will reach 10 tonnes an  
> hour. In the meantime additional biomass will be provided by  
> agriculture, the food industry, and forestry.
> Info: H. Kroopman, hkr at bgp.nl - M. Verbeeten, mv at bgp.nl - info at bgp.nl
>
> (MilieuDirect, Belgium, www.kluwer.be/kluwer/home.asp?doelid=3)
>
>
>
> AN FAO paper:
>
> http://www.techtp.com/tw%20papers/fao_paper.htm
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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