Fw: Banboo

["Ron Larson" <ronallarson@qwest.net>]

Stovers  (cc Alex, Crispin, and A.D.):
    Alex has said it was OK to forward this message.  I am apologetic that I
had forgotten about Alex' excellent work in Phalton about 1.7 years ago on
making charcoal from bamboo.  I was there during some of the early
fabrication of the apparatus - and remembered seeing this report - but had
forgotten that his work was on bamboo.  I strongly recommend this photo
essay identified below - and then especially the background paper that Alex
gave at the Pune conference, which is referenced in the photo essay..

    I believe that Alex has done some of the best experimental and
monitoring work of anyone on this list - and he also explains everything
better than almost anyone.  Note that Alex ran his "barrel" size unit in
Canada at a very constant (and large) output for more than 11 hours - with
the CO level less than 100 ppm throughout.  It has been too long since we
have heard from Alex.

    This geometry is very similar to that for a cookstove.  The advantage I
see for the smaller stove size is that the tremendously valuable (being
controllable and clean) waste heat can be well utilized.  In developing
countries, there are not enough applications that can utilize as much energy
as contained in a barrel of biomass.  I believe that this piped clean heat
could be used in such larger sizes for brickmaking, a ceramics factory,
maybe a bakery, a lime kiln, etc.  The fuel can be free - as the by-product
charcoal is worth more than the incoming biomass.  No one has done this to
my knowledge.

    Questions for Alex:
    1.  What charcoal conversion efficiency by weight were you achieving (%
by weight) - both in Canada and in India?
    2.  Anything special or unusual about using bamboo as a feedstock?  (Did
pyrolysis go a lot faster, being less dense?)
    3.  Did the charcoal from bamboo appear fairly normal?
    4.  Presumably there was no possibility of taking out the small amount
of material that periodically blocks the air flow up the middle of bamboo.
However, was there any evidence that pyrolysis gases were predominantly
exiting up the inside of the biomass stalks, rather than outside?  (anything
like the "holey briquette"?)

A.D.  1.  Anything to report on furthering of Alex' two days of work in
Phaltan?
    2.  Anything more to add on bamboo  (A.D. knows a great deal about
bamboo - as well as being our excellent host in Pune-Phaltan.)

Crispin:  I suggest your friend interested in biomass from bamboo will get a
good start from this work by Alex.   ours is the type of establishment that
could turn this into a very productive form of employment.  To the best of
my knowledge, noone has picked up on Alex' excellent natural draft
large-scale work.
    To others who may have forgotten, I recommend a look at Crispin's
website: at www.newdawn-engineering.com. Crispin is doing some fascinating
work on hand-powered equipment for rural areas.

Ron

----- Original Message -----
From: Alex English <english@kingston.net>
To: Ron Larson <ronallarson@qwest.net>
Sent: Tuesday, July 30, 2002 7:27 PM
Subject: Re: Banboo


> Hi Ron,
> I spent a couple of days in Phaltan right after the conference, so as to
demonstrate the
> top-down charcoal maker. So we built an oil drum model and used bamboo as
fuel.
> An account with pictures is at the crest/stoves website.
> http://crest.org/discussiongroups/resources/stoves/English/phaltan.htm
> I don't think I can post to the list until I am subscribed from this
computor. So  forward
> this to the list if you like.
>
> Alex
> > Crispin:
> >
> >     I think that the "charcoal-making stove" concept (top-lighting,
small
> > amount of controllable primary air, vertical stacking of pieces, dry
"wood")
> > should work perfectly.  Unfortunately, I have not heard of it being
tried -
> > as bamboo is relatively expensive here in Colorado and most of the US
where
> > charcoal-making stove development has occured.
> >
> >     The issue is whether to punch out the periodic closure and therby
> > charcoal from both inside and outside the bamboo piece - or whether to
leave
> > those closures (what is the technical term?)  in and charcoal only from
the
> > outside.
> >
> >     We have had a considerable discussion on this list about using
"holey"
> > briquettes - and the considerable value of that hole in promoting
pyrolysis.
> > I see the bamboo in the same category - if stacked vertically.
> >
> >     Has anyone building charcoal-making stoves ever tried using bamboo?
If
> > it works, it would be great as bamboo is such a fast grower and I
believe
> > gives good charcoal.  (It might have to be ground up to make a better
> > briquette??)
> >
> > 2.  Otherwise, I think all of the charcoaling approaches should work -
with
> > the problem that bamboo is not very dense - so considerable volume is
> > required (not a particular problem with a charcoal-making stove design -
> > since they are relatively small anyway).
> >
> > Ron
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Crispin <crispin@newdawn.sz>
> > To: Stoves <stoves@crest.org>
> > Sent: Monday, July 29, 2002 10:53 AM
> > Subject: Banboo
> >
> >
> > > Dear Stovers
> > >
> > > Can anyone point me in the direction of a bamboo charcoaling
technique?
> > >
> > > Thanks
> > > Crispin
> > >
> > > -

    <snip>

> Alex English
> 399 Church St
> Enterprise Ontario
> Canada K0K 1Z0
>
>


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