GAS-L: RE: Gases for domestic cooking

["Paul S. Anderson" <psanders@ilstu.edu>]

At 09:12 PM 11/20/02 +0000, Gavin Gulliver-Goodall wrote:

> Tom,
>
> So how do we make synthesis gas
> as clearly this must be our main aim. (rather than good ole producer gas
> with that sweet sickly smell and tars that gum up engines)
Gavin,

I do not think it is a simple switch.  First, your Subject line says
"for domestic cooking" but your comment speaks of
"engines."  Quite different.  

Second, Tom did not mention the "pyrolysis gasifier gases" that
are produced and used in Tom's Woodgas Campstove and in my Juntos stoves
for developing countries.  There is confusion about even the
terminology (names) of gases.

Third, at least some (including Gus Johansson in South Africa) who claim
that the tars, etc are minimal in their producer gas.  

And Fourth, "synthesis gas" probably has many variations, each
with advantages and disadvantages that could relate to intended
uses.

But as Gavin asks, perhaps someone on the list serve can explain the
extent to which "synthesis gas" is made and is relevant to our
topic of domestic cooking for poor people.

Paul

> Thanks
>
> Gavin
>
>  
>
> Gavin Gulliver-Goodall
>
> 3G Energi,
>
>  
>
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tom Reed
> [mailto:tombreed@attbi.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, November 20, 2002 16:04
> To: A.D. Karve; stoves@crest.org; gasification
> Cc: esloan@mines.edu
> Subject: Gases for domestic cooking 
>
>  
>
> Dear Nandu et al:
>
>  
>
> PROPANE is my favorite 20th century fuel
> because
>
>  
>
> It burns very clean as a gas
>
> It stores as a liquid at relatively low
> pressures (<15 atm, boiling point -42C)
>
> It is self delivered (no fuel pump)
>
> It has a very high energy both on a liquid, gas
> and weight basis
>
>  
>
> Unfortunately it is <3% of the oil barrel
> and as oil prices go up will be ever less available to those who need it
> least.  It can't be synthesized from other oil components or
> biomass.
>
>  
>
> DIMETHYL ETHER, DME is my favorite 21st Century
> fuel because 
>
>  
>
> It burns very clean as a gas and is being
> considered for diesel engines (and I suspect, spark)
>
> It stores as a liquid at relatively low
> pressures (<15 atm, boiling point -42C)
>
> It is self delivered (no fuel pump)
>
> It has a very high energy both on a liquid, gas
> and weight basis
>
> It is even easier to make from synthesis gas
> than methanol, my favorite liquid fuel
>
>    
>
> METHANE is not nearly so nice, because
>
>  
>
> It is a permanent gas (BP = -164C, lots of
> energy to liquefy, stored in VERY heavy cylinders), so hard to 
> store
>
> Pipelines cost >$10/mile.  Do you have
> any domestic methane in India?
>
> Less than half the energy of propane
>
>  
>
> BIOGAS has most of the faults of methane with
> only 2/3 the energy due to 1/3 CO2 content.
>
>  
>
> However, I wonder if it isn't easier to liquefy
> than methane because the CO2 boils much higher AND MAY FORM A
> HYDRATE.
>
> Does anyone know about this (i.e. Dendy
> Sloan)?  
>
>  
>
> PRODUCER GAS is the worst of this list because
> it contains 50% N2  BUT
>
> It is very easily made by the air gasification
> of all sorts of biomass, and can be used locally for heat or power
> generation, a well proven technology
> (www.gocpc.com)
>
>  
>
> SYNTHESIS GAS in my favorite synthetic gas from
> biomass, since proven processes exist to make it into methanol, DME,
> diesel gasoline or ammonia, all the necessities of our current
> civilization. 
>
>  
>
> Comments?
>
>  
>
> TOM
> REED                            
> BEF GASWORKS
>
>  
>
> Dr. Thomas B. Reed
> 1810 Smith Rd., Golden, CO 80401
> tombreed@attbi.com; 303 278 0558
> Phone/Fax
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
>
> From:
> A.D. Karve 
>
> To: stoves@crest.org 
>
> Sent: Tuesday, November 19, 2002 10:38 AM
>
> Subject: cooking devices for rural India
>
>  
>
> LPG has become popular all over India because of its extreme user friendliness.  Housewives have changed their ethnic and cultural cooking habits, scrapped their traditional cookpots and purchased new ones that suit the LPG stoves. Biogas has the same qualities as LPG but the biogas technology failed to become popular in India because everybody was supposed to make his own biogas. We are working towards establishing rural enterprises producing and selling biogas.  The so called community biogas plants have not at all been successful in India, but we feel that we have the right formula to make them successful. I am trying to get funding for establishing a pilot plant based on my ideas, and shall report about it when it gets going.
>
> A.D.Karve

Paul S. Anderson, Ph.D.,  Fulbright Prof. to Mozambique 8/99 - 7/00

Rotary University Teacher Grantee to Mozambique >10 mo of 2001-2003

Dept of Geography - Geology (Box 4400), Illinois State University

Normal, IL  61790-4400   Voice:  309-438-7360;  FAX:  309-438-5310

E-mail: psanders@ilstu.edu - Internet items: www.ilstu.edu/~psanders