[Stoves] WorldStove replies to BioFuelWatyche's latestimprecise reporting of facts

[Kevin]

Dear Crispin

I think you might be onto a very important concept in your last paragraph, 
where you propose "integrated energy systems." All energy systems have their 
own special advantages and disadvantages. By combining systems, as you 
suggest, it may be possible to build on their individual advantages, and 
avoid their disadvantages.

Specifically, for example, TEG's are very inefficient, and they make little 
to no sense as "stand alone generation systems", but in the case where they 
are tied into a stove system, where the "reject heat" from the TEG's will be 
fully used for cooking or space heating, then the TEG power has no operating 
fuel cost. Now, if such a TEG system was integrated with a battery system, 
in a way to prevent excessive drawdown of the batteries, extended battery 
life could contribute favourably to overall system economics.

There is potentially a very interesting "integrated energy system" lurking 
here: As one simple example, Solar and wind during the day, TEG in the 
evening and night, with a battery system to level things out. There would be 
many "variations on the basic theme", depending on the site specific 
circumstances... a system that was relevant to Mongolia, would likely be 
very different from a system that was relevant and optimal for Kenya.

Best wishes,

Kevin

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Crispin Pemberton-Pigott" <crispinpigott at gmail.com>
To: "'Discussion of biomass cooking stoves'" 
<stoves at lists.bioenergylists.org>
Sent: Tuesday, July 26, 2011 12:14 AM
Subject: Re: [Stoves] WorldStove replies to BioFuelWatyche's latestimprecise 
reporting of facts


> Dear Xavier
>
> Your story of issuing warnings from the Land of Reality was interesting, 
> if
> also depressingly familiar.
>
> With regard to SHS, it seems the South Africans are proving what people
> wanted to know - does it bring some relief from rural poverty.
>
> As (then called) GTZ showed over a number of years (more than 5 I think,
> perhaps 7) solar cookers are not, on their own, viable commercially. The
> caveat for that claim is that low power, low temperature cookers 
> (steamers?)
> have made a go of it - I am thinking of the folding aluminized plastic
> sheets. But in terms of 1.4 m diameter 'ordinary' concentrating solar
> cooking, any promotion of them requires the addition of an efficient, 
> rapid
> starting wood stove to go with them.
>
> So, when it comes to SHS, why not add thermoelectric power generation to 
> the
> family stove? It could be incorporated into the SHS system to provide
> additional power and to save draining (cycling) the battery so much. This
> would lead to a longer working lifetime. Neither the panel nor the battery
> nor the stove would have to be large enough to provide all power needed at
> once. The cost of adding a TEG to the system might be much less than
> replacing batteries early, adding panels or upgrading the controller.
>
> Regards
> Crispin
>
>
>
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