[Stoves] Jatropha fruit as fuel?

Dean Still deankstill at gmail.com
Sat Jan 19 20:54:37 CST 2013 

Dear Richard,

I need training too! In my limited experience, it's hard to make a really
clean pellet and harder to make a really clean burning briquette. Now that
stoves are supposed to be Tier 3 or better for emissions of CO and PM I
find it a challenge to make really clean recipes. Let's get together at the
lab and write down some good recipes?

Best,

Dean

On Sat, Jan 19, 2013 at 6:46 PM, Legacyfound <rstanley at legacyfound.org>wrote:

> Dear Ottos,
> Seems you both need training in briquettemaking . Jon you know where to go
> in nchi yeti but Otto, where are you based? Seriously, the blends you are
> finding smelly smokey etc suggests that you get in touch with any of
> hundreds of others who can train you.
> Richard Stanley
> Monte Rico,
> Guatemala
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Jan 19, 2013, at 18:10, Otto Formo <terra-matricula at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> Josh and Jonathan (Otto),
>
> Yes, we are talking about the presscake of Jatropha and it was processed
> into pellets localy in Zambia, quite easily and with "simple" tools - (no
> waste of energy)
>
> We had the same experience as your colleagues using briquettes made out of
> ricehusks and sawdust.
> They even started to glow like charcoal early in the gasification process
> and produced smoky and smouldery combustion.
>
> Thast why we prefer to use pellets of best possible quality.
>
> I hope you are correct about the gasification of jatropha pellets will
> destroy the phorbol esters and other problematic compounds instead of
> emitting them.
> Iam a bit worried about the forced draft units, while they seems to blow
> some parts of the ash and gases into the open air or room.
>
> May be the char from Jatropha could have a pestecide effect as well?
>
> Otto
> ------------------------------
> Date: Sat, 19 Jan 2013 18:23:35 -0500
> From: <yeah.yeah.right.on at gmail.com>yeah.yeah.right.on at gmail.com
> To: <stoves at lists.bioenergylists.org>stoves at lists.bioenergylists.org
> Subject: Re: [Stoves] Jatropha fruit as fuel?
>
> Otto - FYI jatropha presscake (the mealy material left over once oil has
> been pressed out of the seeds) can be directly pelletized without further
> processing. It's pretty easy to pelletize, even with a small, cheaper (e.g.
> benchtop) pellet press. The mealy presscake still contains some of the oil
> (think coffee grounds) and it pelletizes well without worry over moisture
> content or having to use a binder.
>
> The pellets burn in a TLUD similar to wood or other pellets, at least by
> visual observation and temperature recording. I have colleagues that have
> tried to make cooking briquettes with jatropha seedcake and had a very
> smoky, smouldery combustion. I believe there are concerns of some
> potentially toxic emissions (phorbol esters, other compounds?). I have not
> tested the emissions from TLUD charring jatropha pellets, but there was no
> visible smoke and the gasifier seemed to operate fine as it does with other
> types of pellets. It would be interesting to know if firing jatropha
> pellets in a TLUD destroys the phorbol esters and other problematic
> compounds instead of emitting them.
>
> I first tried to char un-pelletized jatropha seedcake in the TLUD -
> because it is mealy like coffee grounds no draft could get through and it
> was a total fail - lots of smoke poured out! This brought the fire
> department to our Colorado backyard during a fire ban. Whoops.
>
> Also FYI char made from TLUD jatropha pellets performed similar for
> herbicide uptake from simulated natural water as chars made in the same way
> from pine pellets, bagasse pellets, and bamboo pieces.
>
> Josh
>
>
>
> On Sat, Jan 19, 2013 at 12:29 PM, Jonathan Otto <<ottojonathan at hotmail.com>
> ottojonathan at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>  Otto,
>
>
>
> Whole Jatropha seeds can be picked from hedges on-farm and used directly
> in our jiko safi gasification stove without any further effort (except
> maybe for some sun drying if harvested during a damp season) … the most
> decentralized, efficient sustainable fuel system I can imagine.
>
>
>
> Sure, urban jiko safi users will need to buy their fuel seeds, so a
> commercial system for transport and retail sale of seed will be needed
> eventually, likely mimicking some aspects of the charcoal trade. But it’s
> just whole, unprocessed seed.
>
>
>
> Concerning pelletized Jatropha fuel, I would like to understand the
> advantages you find in going through the costs and effort (including energy
> losses) of processing seeds to expel the oil, then probably milling the
> press cake and shells (?) to uniform size/texture, then extruding or
> otherwise forming the mixture into pellets, and finally distribute the
> fuel, some of which will go back to the same farmers that grew the Jatropha
> seed in the first place?
>
>
>
> I know there are technical advantages to gasification of uniform-sized
> pellets, but it seems to me that round or ovoid shaped seeds like Jatropha,
> castor (I know, more poisons!), shea or croton megalocarpus provide this
> same advantage, without going through the pelletization process.  What am
> I missing?******
>
>
>
> Otto, the minor
>
>
>
> P.S.  It's too late for me to retire 'on time'
>  ------------------------------
> From: <terra-matricula at hotmail.com>terra-matricula at hotmail.com
> To: <stoves at lists.bioenergylists.org>stoves at lists.bioenergylists.org
> Date: Sat, 19 Jan 2013 17:23:37 +0100
>
> Subject: Re: [Stoves] Jatropha fruit as fuel?
>
> Jonathan,
>
> We have got some samples of pelletized jatropha shells and seeds from
> Zambia, after the oil has been extracted and we feel that is the way
> forward.
>
> We will update you on the progress, so you will be albe to retire "on
> time".................:)
> We are not so worried about PM in natural draft gasifiers, but thanks for
> the concern.
>
> Otto........................
>  ------------------------------
> From: <ottojonathan at hotmail.com>ottojonathan at hotmail.com
> To: <stoves at lists.bioenergylists.org>stoves at lists.bioenergylists.org
> Date: Sat, 19 Jan 2013 09:03:35 -0500
> Subject: Re: [Stoves] Jatropha fruit as fuel?
>
> Otto-
>
> You 'would guess' wrong.
>
> 'We should be very careful advising people' about such unsupported
> conclusions.
>
> The challenges of gasifying oils found in seeds, notably the oils of
> Jatropha seed, in a cookstove are far different from working with
> most pellets formulations.
>
> I keenly look forward to news of your all-fuel stoves that will handle J
> seeds, and the results of your tests. I sincerely hope you develop this
> soon, so I can finally retire in peace.
>
> Oh, and when you do tests, please include particulates in your emissions
> testing, so we can finally end all this hand wringing about 'these types of
> fuel'.
>
> >From the cheeky other Otto,
>
> Jonathan
>  ------------------------------
> From: <terra-matricula at hotmail.com>terra-matricula at hotmail.com
> To: <stoves at lists.bioenergylists.org>stoves at lists.bioenergylists.org
> Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2013 23:23:48 +0100
> Subject: Re: [Stoves] Jatropha fruit as fuel?
>
> Dear stovers,
>
> I would guess that "any" gasifier will burn jatropha seeds or pellets
> cleanly and efficient, as long as the moisture content are less than 10%.
>
> We have in the pipeline to test a new design of natural draft gasifiers,
> using jatropha seeds and pellets, for emmissions and toxcic fumes.
>
> We should be very carefull adviceing people using these types of fuel,
> before it has been carefully tested by independent institutions.
>
> Have a nice weekend.
>
> Otto (not the famous one..........:)
>
>  ------------------------------
> From: <crispinpigott at gmail.com>crispinpigott at gmail.com
> To: <stoves at lists.bioenergylists.org>stoves at lists.bioenergylists.org
> Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2013 10:19:11 -0500
> Subject: Re: [Stoves] Jatropha fruit as fuel?
>
>  Dear Jonathan
>
> I am interested in the general layout and dimensions of a stove that will
> burn the seeds well. Are you sharing at this time anything regarding the
> design?
>
> Thanks
> Crispin
>  ++++++++
>
>  Dear Joyce and stovers all,
>
> My regrets for not responding to this request 6 months ago.  I admit that
> it got lost in my messy inbox which I have now reduced from 6000 messages
> to a mere 2400, and in the process uncovered Joyce's email.
>
> Burning Jatropha seeds whole or in briquettes in open cooking arrangements
> is a bad idea.  It produces a smoky, smelly fire and probably exposes cooks
> to toxic emissions.  I even question burning Jatropha oil in lamps in
> enclosed areas for the same reason. Maybe others know of emissions studies.
> [snip]
>
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> --
> Josh Kearns
> PhD Candidate, Environmental Engineering
> University of Colorado-Boulder
> Visiting Researcher, North Carolina State University
>
> Director of Science
> Aqueous Solutions
> <http://www.aqsolutions.org>www.aqsolutions.org
>
> Mobile: 720 989 3959 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            720 989
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