[Stoves] The Art of Using Grass Bundles in TLUD Stoves

[Julien Winter]

> Lanny Henson Tue Apr 9 12:58:26 MDT 2013  wrote:

> Julien,
> Have you tried top lighting the 30 gal drum of straw?
> Do you have problems maintaining an open, central, air flow, pathway?
> Lanny


Lanny;

I did not try top lighting the 30 gal drum with a hollow core in the
bed of straw.   That is probably worth trying, but the paint can tests
suggest that it may not work if the reaction is in TLUD mode.

I have not had trouble with the central hole in a bed of straw
collapsing during a burn.  Gasified straw maintained its structure,
even though it had lost ca. 80% of its mass.

I think my next move is to bottom light a 30 gal bed of straw
containing multiple vertical holes, to see if I can shorten the path
length for the convection of gases and heat.  If I can get that to
work, I will try top lighting it as a TLUD.  I like the TLUD process
in theory, because the oxygen is used up in the descending ignition
fire, and not in ashing charcoal, as occurs with bottom lighting.

However, I will not be running any more trials for a week, because we
have rain and possibly snow in the forecast.

I find that a paint can reactor is a fairly good model for a 30 gal
drum reactor.  I can easily test equipment designs, fuels and
procedures.  I can run several trials in an hour and not use too much
feedstock, and I can run replicates to be sure.  I can also run
special photo-ops, such as in the dark.  If a paint can trial is a
failure and I have to put it out, I don't have to dispose of much
waste straw.  By contrast, a run of the 30 gal reactor can take a
couple of hours, plus, if it goes really badly and I create heaps of
smoke, I could be visited by the city fire brigade.  Alas, I am not
working in a farmyard, but in a suburbia.  One-upon-a-time, my family
used to collect cows, but not any more.

Thanks to all for the input,
cheers,
Julien.





--
Julien Winter
Cobourg, ON, CANADA