[Stoves] Misuderstanding of TLUD stoves Re: Refuelable TLUD Coal Stove developed in Mongolia that is not a batch process.

kchisholm at ca.inter.net kchisholm at ca.inter.net
Sun Mar 6 03:46:18 CST 2011


Dear Paul and Ron

Quoting "Paul S. Anderson" <psanders at ilstu.edu>:

> see below
>
> Quoting Ron Larson <rongretlarson at comcast.net>:
>
>> Paul and ccs:
>>
>>   I had not realized that your Chip Furnace operated in the manner  
>> you describe below.  Am I correct then in assuming that the word  
>> pyrolyzer (which you didn't use) would be inapproproriate - and  
>> that char production is minimal?

# I would propose for your consideration the following definitions:
1: PYROLYSIS is destructive distillation, yielding a pyrolysis gas,  
and a char. There are two basic methods for PYROLYSIS:
a: The RETORT method, where additional energy required for pyrolysis  
is provided through the walls of the retort, and
b: additional required thermal energy is provided by partial  
combustion of the pyrolysis gases and/or char through addition of air.

2: GASIFICATION is a process where a solid feedstock is substantially  
all converted to a gas.

It would thus appear that a device that produces significant  
quantities of char, whether by accident or intent,  would be a  
PYROLYZER and not a GASIFIER.
>
> Char production is controlable by the operator.  With fast  
> throughput, we could extract chars with many volatiles and some  
> torrified fuel.

It is my understanding that this would not be a controllable process.  
Have you actually been able to produce charcoal AND torrified wood at  
the same time in teh same reactor, OR was the product a mixture of  
char plus partially charred wood?

   With very slow throughput, it could output only
> ash/minimal char.  The control also allows for use of different fuel  
> in the same device (but not at the same time).  Chip Energy furnaces  
> make char if (and how) you want it.

# A FURNACE is NOT a "GASIFIER" or "PYROLYZER". A FURNACE is a device  
whose intended purpose is the release of heat through combustion of a  
fuel.
>>
>>   But also that much of your other writing is on char-making stoves  
>> of a batch type and that you would then not use the term "gasifier"?
>
> "Gasification" to the majority of readers includes making gases via  
> pyrolysis and/or by char-gasification.

# A PYROLYSER produces a fuel gas PLUS a char product. A GASIFIER is  
intended to convert all, or substantially all, of the feedstock into a  
fuel gas for subsequent use elsewhere. If you gasify char, then it is  
a gasifier. If you produce char, it is a pyrolyser.

> A gasifier can pyrolyze.

# True, but a GASIFIER does not have CHAR as a desirable end product.  
A device that has CHAR as a desirable end product is a PYROLYZER. It  
stops the pyrolysis at the char stage, and does not continue on to  
gasify the char.
>>
>>   I have not heard whether Nat Mulcahy demonstrated at the Ethos  
>> meeting that he could add extra fuel at the end of a run - and that  
>> TLUD was therefore Inappropriate for his design.
>
> Nat did not operate any of his stoves at ETHOS.  He did explain why  
> he does not consider his stoves to be TLUD technology.
>>
>>   I believe (perhaps like Crispin) that a BLDD could produce char -  
>> and could add extra fuel at the top - and hope that someone will  
>> report on that pair of desirable characteristics in a collating.

# Definitely. A "Stratified Downdraft Gasifier" can be operated in a  
manner where biomass can be added continuously and char can be  
produced continuously, and a fuel gas can be produced continuously.  
There is a requirement for continuous removal of char.
>
> Good luck.  I too await such a report, but that technology works  
> against the creation of char.

# If the desired objective is char production, then it is basically a  
PYROLYSER. If the desired production is a fuel gas, then it is  
basically a GASIFIER. If the desired production is HEAT, the it is a  
FURNACE.


  Meanwhile, I have a char-making device
> in the form of the Chip Energy Biomass Furnace and (as of this past  
> month) the Chip Energy "Dragon" (shoots out fire or combustible  
> gases to the user-provided destination/application - US$15,000 with  
> variable configurations.)

# Does it burn gases to completion? What is the heat output rate? What  
percentage of the energy in the input fuel shows up as heat, and what  
percentage of the input fuel energy shows up in the char? Can the  
"Combustible Gases" be piped elsewhere for use?

Best wishes,

Kevin
>
> -- 
> Paul S. Anderson, PhD
> Known to some as:  Dr. TLUD    Doc    Professor
> Phone (USA): 309-452-7072   SKYPE: paultlud   Email: psanders at ilstu.edu
>
>
>
>
>>
>> Ron
>>
>>
>>
>> Sent from my iPad
>>
>> On Mar 3, 2011, at 12:30 PM, "Paul S. Anderson" <psanders at ilstu.edu> wrote:
>>
>>> Quoting Crispin Pemberton-Pigott <crispinpigott at gmail.com>:
>>>   snipped
>>>>
>>>> A TLUD is just a down draft built upside down. They can be  
>>>> refuelled continuously but if the desire is to get char out, that  
>>>> could be a problem.
>>>>
>>> This is a very common misunderstanding that was even promoted by  
>>> Tom Reed who initialy call it "inverted down draft" gasification.
>>>
>>> In a true downdraft gasifier, there is a hot zone that stays at  
>>> the bottom all the time, and the fuel moves downward to it,  
>>> becomes char and is later subjected to char gasification.  The air  
>>> flow is also downward.
>>>
>>> In a TLUD, the hot zone starts at the top, but then the hot  
>>> pyrolysis front migrates downward until reaching the bottom of the  
>>> fuel pile.  That is FUNDAMENTALLY DIFFERENT from the downdraft  
>>> gasifiers.
>>>
>>> Furthermore, after the pyrolysis front reaches the bottom, the air  
>>> flow still continues to be updraft.  Placing a significant amount  
>>> of fuel onto the top of the fuel bed can cause variations in the  
>>> gases created (initially much water vapor while the fuel is  
>>> drying, then the pyrolytic gases start later).
>>>
>>> Note:  In the case of the Chip Energy Biomass Furnace  
>>> (www.chipenergy.com) which is a true updraft gasifier with  
>>> continuous operation (and the hot zone is at the bottom where the  
>>> air is entering), the new fuel enters in small amounts, avoiding  
>>> the problem mentioned in the above paragraph about water vapor.
>>>
>>> I hope this helps explain what is happening in the TLUDs
>>>
>>> Paul
>>>
>>>
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