[Terrapreta] torrified wood vs. charcoal
Gerald Van Koeverden
vnkvrdn at yahoo.ca
Wed Feb 13 15:30:50 CST 2008
No smoke, no VM, no odour, high heat, cheaper than coal, etc. You
can even use the gases coming off the process to heat more of it.
What is hard to understand about such a 'wonder' stove fuel, is that
it has taken so long for engineers to find a way to produce it.
Maybe that's the catch...to be able to heat it evenly and thoroughly
enough while preventing it from going exothermic and ending up with
charcoal? Sort of like coitus interruptus...
"the wood is transformed into a more refined fuel, similar to the
energy nature of coal but without any pollution side effect because
all pollutants have been removed. After it has been processed only
the energy component remains in the wood, the natural smoke forming
volatiles have been removed and the moisture and ash content is
reduced to less than 1%. Through ECO densification a higher heat
value/energy content is achieved, it is then pelletized for
transportation. It is now a renewable fuel that resembles the energy
component in coal, but where as coal has many other pollutants still
trapped inside of it, ECO Clean Coal [torrefied wood] has been
liberated of all pollutants. Therefore, when the ECO Clean Coal is
burned it is smokeless and odorless. You can burn it indoors and
outdoors."
http://www.techtp.com/ECO_Clean_Coal_brochure.pdf
Begin forwarded message:
> From: Gerald Van Koeverden <vnkvrdn at yahoo.ca>
> Date: February 13, 2008 12:14:05 PM EST (CA)
> To: Robert Flanagan <saffechina at gmail.com>
> Cc: Terra Preta <terrapreta at bioenergylists.org>
> Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] torrified wood vs. charcoal
>
> Rob,
>
> I went to that "youtube" site. a lot of cool neat stoves...I will
> ponder your suggestion.
>
> Whatever, for more information about torrefied wood, I found a
> website dedicated to it:
>
> http://www.techtp.com/
>
> Gerrit
>
>
> On 12-Feb-08, at 10:16 PM, Robert Flanagan wrote:
>
>> Hey Gerald,
>>
>> Why would you cook on torrefied or charcoal when you can burn the
>> smoke and woodgas with a Top Lit Up Draft gasifier and keep the
>> charcoal?
>> http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=woodgas
>> +stove&search_type=&search=Search
>>
>> Regards,
>> Rob.
>>
>> On Feb 12, 2008 10:31 PM, Gerald Van Koeverden <vnkvrdn at yahoo.ca>
>> wrote:
>> 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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>>
>>
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>>
>>
>> --
>> Robert Flanagan
>> Chairman & President
>> Hangzhou Sustainable Agricultural Food & Fuel Enterprise Co., Ltd.
>>
>> Skype "saffechina"
>> Tel: 86-571-881-850-67
>> Cell: 86-130-189-959-57
>
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