[Stoves] Pyrolysis & STEM Education

[Jonathan P Gill]

The image above is from some work I have been doing with bottom up pyrolysis in retorts powered by TLUDS.
It is very interesting to see the retort produce gases and then to see them ignite.
Further, the burning retort gases can be explosively violent and very loud in the safety of their confined space.  Attention getting.

All of this work is, of course, open source and free to use.

So many variables to play with:

How much biomass in the retort?  1/2 full?

Heat output/run time of the TLUD?

Secondary air for the retort?  Amount?  Design of the source?

TLUD stack gases contaminating the gases from the retort?

Can you produce and sustain blue flames?  How?  Why?

Nature of the gas ports on the top of the retort.  Belonio style?

etc.

All of this would appear to be a good fit for STEM education projects.  I mention STEM as it may be the key to getting pyrolysis and all of the related topics into our schools.  My hunch is that until pyrolysis is incorporated into public education, the diffusion rate of pyrolysis technologies/benefits will remain extremely slow.

However, we face some daunting challenges here.  As my nephew the education reformer writes:

"...  a deep, deep problem in American education - ie, the fact that policy only really cares about a baseline of literacy and numeracy"  and  "STEM itself is having a hard time getting as much policy interest as reading/math. You would think given various economic and environmental realities policy makers would be more forward thinking ...".

If you concur that it would be desirable to get pyrolysis et al into STEM education, I would look forward to your thoughts.

Note:  If this message belongs in a different thread, please post it appropriately.

Regards,

Jock

Jonathan P Gill
Peacham, VT.
jg45 at icloud.com

Extract CO2 from the atmosphere. 





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