[Stoves] [biochar] Understanding FUEL EFFICIENCY vs Energy efficiency

Mon Apr 8 01:10:27 CDT 2013

Those are all good points, Paul.

The technical aspects of the testing have to be in line with real world 
expectations about what we think we are bring told. The disconnect is 
large. People buying carbon offsets think they are getting a payoff in 
standing trees.

Switching to non-woody biomass is using a biomass resource but not a 
tree resource and many people have that as a goal.

The thing is, this is not a stove function (to think of such things). If 
a stove is rated for performance, it can be assessed on relative 
efficiency against a baseline and demonstrate benefits.

The analysis you speak of -- which fuel goes in and how those fuels are 
or are not in surplus in the community -- is not a function of the 
performance test. It is an analysis carried out afterwards using the 
data contained in the stove test.

I think we have to resist the temptation to have the test method driven 
by any particular agenda, even though those agenda are real, exist and 
valid. When we turn on the lights to have a meeting, the protocol for 
testing lights does not dictate what kinds of meeting it is allowed to 
illuminate or give different answers depending on what is being discussed.

Once the correct questions are asked, the stove testing method can give 
answers, relative ones or absolute ones. If there is something missing 
from the test that is needed in to inform the conversation, the need 
must be clearly stated.

The needs to date have centered on fuel consumption calculated in a 
particular manner. It is not the only question to ask.

So, what are the questions you want answered? They have to be related to 
the performance of the stove, not how they fit into some other box or 
square hole. Stove testing is not about policy (much).

Regards

Crispin

On 4/8/2013 12:10 AM, Mark Ludlow wrote:
>
> Very good points, Paul!
>
> Mark
>
> *From:*biochar at yahoogroups.com [mailto:biochar at yahoogroups.com] *On 
> Behalf Of *Paul Anderson
> *Sent:* Sunday, April 7, 2013 9:51 PM
> *To:* Discussion of biomass cooking stoves; Hugh McLaughlin; Bob 
> Fairchild; biochar at yahoogroups.com
> *Subject:* [biochar] Understanding FUEL EFFICIENCY vs Energy efficiency
>
> Dear Stovers and Biochar makers,
>
> We are NOT sufficiently emphasizing that TLUDs/char-maker stoves can use
> fuel other than stick wood. When burning briquettes and pellets and
> cobs and shells (which most other stoves cannot burn very well), we are
> NOT burning tree-sourced fuel.
>
> Crispin correctly says that a kg of wood in and pyrolyzed is no longer
> wood, and therefore is FUEL used, and that relates to FUEL Efficiency.
> TLUDs can consume more wood because they are converting some of that
> wood into charcoal. That is different from ENERGY efficiency, which
> can allow calculations for the energy in the charcoal that is not used.
>
> Especially in char-making stoves, energy efficiency is better than the
> fuel efficiency IF USING WOOD. But if the fuel is not wood, then the
> WOOD-FUEL efficiency is 100% (none was burned in the cooking of the
> meal), and the ENERGY efficiency might be very good, while the FUEL
> efficiency (burning ag residues, dung, etc) might be low in comparison
> with other stoves, but no trees were cut or burned.
>
> About the above, there will need to be some education given to the stove
> community (including GACC and manufacturers and governments). WHAT fuel
> is burned does make a difference if FUEL efficiency is an important
> criteria when evaluating stoves.
>
> Just because wood is the traditional fuel used in stove testing does not
> mean that stoves that can also burn OTHER biomass should be judged on
> the WOOD-FUEL efficiency calculations. For places like Haiti, Rwanda,
> and many large zones of numerous large countries, to be able to cook
> WITHOUT FOREST DEGRADATION should be a major reason for choosing TLUD
> stoves.
>
> Having written about this here does not mean that the message has
> reached the decision makers and those who report test results on
> cookstoves. And the makers of "stick-wood-burning stoves" are unlikely
> to want to tell this message to others.
>
> Because the GACC is about stoves AND FUELS, I hope that proper
> recognition can be given in the discussions and decisions about the
> stoves that can have 100% avoidance of cutting wood, if that is important.
>
> Paul
>
> -- 
> Paul S. Anderson, PhD aka "Dr TLUD"
> Email: psanders at ilstu.edu <mailto:psanders%40ilstu.edu> Skype: 
> paultlud Phone: +1-309-452-7072
> Website: www.drtlud.com <http://www.drtlud.com>
>
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