[Stoves] (no subject) [Jatropha cake properties]

[Paul S. Anderson]

Crispin and all,

I have seen Jatropha press-cake in two forms.  A high pressure press  
extruded cresant-shaped pieces that hung together, but were not  
friendly for handling (would break, etc.)

"regular" pressure produced more like a crumbly meal that would cut  
off any air passage.

A major problem is caused but the residual oil (which is why we have  
such interest in it),  The oil is a liquid lubricant that is not going  
to dry out.  So it is not good for forming pellets or briquettes.  Nor  
is it a good binder for other biomass.

Combinations with other biomass should be focused on the other biomass  
holding the press-cake in shape, not the other way around.  From  
simple (insufficient) testing, I believe that sawdust is NOT the  
solution.

One suggestion someone could try:  If the press cake fill maybe half  
of the holes in some matrix of perferated non-combustible material  
(like a ceramic honeycomb with sufficient "cells" vacant for air  
passage, in a TLUD the initial heat vaporizes the oils in the top  
layer, and pyrolyzes the biomass in the press cake.  In TLUD manner,  
the pyrolysis front moves downward.  At the end you remove the  
honeycomb with friable char in the cells, clear the char (shake or  
air-blast or water?), and reload the honeycomb.

 From my limited knowledge with Jatropha presscake (and presscake from  
other biomass), I suspect that the honeycomb cells could be 5 to 10 mm  
diameter and maybe 25 mm long.  The press cake would be held in place  
by surface tension.

I wrote this as I thought about it, and am not able to test it in the  
near future.  But it could work.  Remember, inside the TLUD reactor,  
the temperatures are about 550 deg C, so the lifespan of the honeycomb  
(even if metal) could be sufficient.

If anyone works on it, please keep me informed.

It is a worthy challenge.

Paul
-- 
Paul S. Anderson, PhD
Known to some as:  Dr. TLUD    Doc    Professor
Phone (USA): 309-452-7072   SKYPE: paultlud   Email: psanders at ilstu.edu



Quoting Crispin Pemberton-Pigott <crispinpigott at gmail.com>:

> Dear Peter and Christa
>
>
>
> Do you think it could be made into something like a waffle? Perhaps pressed
> or baked?
>
> That would burn well, given the density and need to aeration.
>
>
>
> Regards
>
> Crispin
>
>



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