[Stoves] Fwd: {Vetiver System} Vetiver, stoves, and biochar

[Anand Karve]

Dear Crispin,
yes, the roots are subjected to steam distillation and the distillated
steam is condensed. The essential oil floats on the condensed water. It is
used in perfumes and also in a cool drink called Khus (rhymes with thus). I
think that a lot of it is exported to be used by the perfume industry,
world wide. The roots are covered with a spongy tissue, which absorbs
and stores water. Therefore, the roots, after extraction of the essential
oil, are woven into mats. The mats are hung in front of doors and windows
and are kept wet. When wind blows through the wet mat, the water evaporates
and the air that enters the house is cooler than the direct blast of air
that comes in from the outside. Nowadays they make boxes in which there is
an electrically driven fan, which blows air through the mat fitted in front
of it. Water from a small water tank kept above the box, drips on the mat
to keep it wet. These so called desert coolers are quite polular,
being much cheaper than an air conditioner. In fact, I use one in my own
bedroom during the hot season. These contraptions don't work in the monsoon
season, because the high atmospheric humidity during monsoon retards the
evaporation of water, nullifying the cooling effect.
Yours
A.D.Karve

On Fri, Dec 16, 2011 at 1:05 AM, Crispin Pemberton-Pigott <
crispinpigott at gmail.com> wrote:

>  Dear Dr AD****
>
> *>*The roots of Vetiver contain a volatile fragrant oil of great economic
> importance. ****
>
> Do you know if the extraction process is simple distillation? There is a
> relatively successful project based at the Univ of Fort Hare in the Eastern
> Cape, South Africa, distilling root oils. I have never heard that Vetiver
> was a possible candidate for this.****
>
> >Vetiver has no pests or diseases. Even cattle does not eat it. ****
>
> That is a pretty attractive plant if it is not invasive. Some of the best
> grasses in the British Colonies are for thatching. The Brits realised long
> ago that the quality of thatch was not very good in many places so they
> sent shiploads of seed all over the Empire. This was tossed out of the back
> of Landrovers that drove up and down country lanes in, for example,
> Swaziland and Zimbabwe. These grasses grew really well and people hang
> around the roadside to reap the product at the end of each summer.  In the
> past 50 years or so it has moved into the verges of fields but it is not
> very invasive. It would make an excellent fuel for stoves. It is dense and
> grows to perhaps 3 metres maximum and lasts 25 years as a roof material, or
> about the same as asphalt shingles in Canada. It is not elephant grass
> which is much taller and not such a good roofing material.****
>
> Because it is so easy to transport (being right beside the road in most
> places) it is traded all over and has quite a high value. In order to be
> attractive as a fuel it would have to be more plentiful and grown as
> switchgrass is now.****
>
> Does it have high ash? Does it have high C, P and K?  I am thinking of
> Alex English’s glass manufacturing hay burner near Kingston.  J****
>
> Would not papyrus also be a good fuel? There is masses of it around the
> shores of Lake Victoria. I always wondered why no one makes paper from it!
> ****
>
> Regards****
>
> Crispin****
>
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-- 
***
Dr. A.D. Karve
Trustee & Founder President, Appropriate Rural Technology Institute (ARTI)
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