[Gasification] gasifier type updraft

[Thomas Reed]

Dear Tom Miles

Typically if you pile scrap wood into a dense pyramid and light the top layer, the advancing pyrolysis front will supply a protective combustible gas envelope which has had the oxygen removed. I call this the Pyromid method of charcoal production. 

(There is also  a stove on the market called a Pyromid Stove.  So it is useful to make sure to  call this a "Charcoal Pyromid".) 

If this CHARCOAL PYROMID  is allowed to burn down until the yellow flames disappear, only charcoal will remain.  Squirt a lot of water on it and stand by to squirt more and you'll have about 20% charcoal yield.  If you go in for lunch, some spark will ignite the charcoal and you have wood ash when you return.

If your fuel pyramid is not tightly stacked, air oxygen will pass up into the charcoal bed and reduce the yield.  If the wood is too large or too dry or you use enhanced oxygen it will be too easy for the flame to propagate down and you won't completely convert the fuel Pyromid to a charcoal Pyromid.

Happy charring...

Tom Reed

Dr Thomas B Reed 
The Biomass Energy Foundation
www.Woodgas.com

On Dec 17, 2011, at 11:00 AM, "Tom Miles" <tmiles at trmiles.com> wrote:

> Tom,
>  
> The pyromid looks like a good  in-woods approach to converting slash to biochar.
>  
> Do you think that the pyrolysis blanket that is being developed by Carbon Cultures (Jenny Knoth U Washington) can be used to improve the performance of the pyromid?
>  
> See video and story at:
> http://www.slideshare.net/sblank/carbon-cultures-corps-final
> http://www.igert.org/stories/90
> http://depts.washington.edu/bioenrgy/
> http://www.myscience.us/wire/turning_slash_piles_into_soil_benefit-2011-washington
>  
> Thanks
>  
> Tom Miles
>  
> From: gasification-bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org [mailto:gasification-bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org] On Behalf Of Thomas Reed
> Sent: Saturday, December 17, 2011 6:43 AM
> To: Discussion of biomass pyrolysis and gasification; STOVES
> Subject: Re: [Gasification] gasifier type updarft use rice husk
>  
> Dear gassers and Stovers
>  
> Using any size TLUD device including an open PYROMID, and any junk biomass, we all have easy access to as much charcoal as we could ever need, for the first time in history.
>  
> Furthermore, Hugh McLaughlin tells me that, while it's not true activated charcoal, made with steam or CO2 at 800C, it has significant absorption capacity (iodine no 400?) since it is made at 500-800 C.  I hope Hugh or Frank will comment.  
>  
> So we really have no excuse for cleaning up TLUD gas if we wish to.  
>  
> I'm waiting for a good analysis of TLUD gas.  I suspect after cleaning it will have significantly more energy than the typical 5.5 MJ/m3 or 150 Btu/ scf of downdraft Woodgas, since the air fuel ratio for pyrolysis is only 1-1.5, rather than the 3.5 for complete gasification of the cellulose lignin package that is wood.   So, as a first guess, with 1/3 the A/F ratio, I'm guessing 3x the energy content, of 4.5 MJ/m3 or 450 Btu/scf.  Compare to natural gas at 1000 Btu/ scf. 
>  
> I'd sure like to see some comments from all you practical guys (and dolls?) out there.  
>  
> Onward 
>  
> Tom Reed.   Dr WoodGas
>  
>  
> 
> 
> Dr Thomas B Reed 
> The Biomass Energy Foundation
> www.Woodgas.com
> 
> 
> 
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