[Stoves] Jatropha fruit as fuel? Pellet vs. whole seed

[Crispin Pemberton-Pigott]

Dear Jonathan

 

What a great contribution.

 

Thanks.

 

The unfortunate fact is that there are very few stove designers out there
and most people fantasise that they can discover what to do with little
stoves. For the most part new stoves are 'just made up' and it is therefore
not a surprise that even the most devoted (as in devotee) workers in the
field have not found the right combination that will burn whole jatropha
seed, new and old, well enough to be a satisfying experience.

 

There are a couple of things that are worth adding. One is that the TLUD may
not be the best way to burn the fuel and simultaneously cook satisfactorily.
As I wrote earlier, TLUD's have many issues the most worrying is the
mis-match between current stoves and the skill and/or time demands that most
new stove require. Cecil covered that pretty well with his tome on
technology courts.

 

The stove design book that needs to exist does not. There is so much missing
from the old handbooks that they are more misleading than leading now, and
no one is working on it. There was a glimmer of hope that a text on stove
design would emerge from the UB-CAP project in Mongolia in the coming 2
years but that is now extinguished.

 

I agree that the seed-fuel should be burned whole. If there is a shortage,
it can easily be grown. Without a dedicated stove design effort, it is
unlikely to be solved in the way other engineering problems are: by the
systematic application of expertise with no preconceptions about the
solution. Because round seeds are ideal for hopper delivery to a combustor,
this should be considered immediately. Hopper-fed burners can have very long
hot paths for volatiles making them idea for breaking down long chain oils,
which seems to be the major problem.

 

Regards

Crispin

 

 

 

 

Pellet vs. whole seed

 

Dear Bjarne and stovers all,

 

First, I must greet my colleague from a former Jatropha promotion program in
Tanzania, Bjarne Laustsen, and congratulate him on the funding he has been
awarded to finance pellet making equipment and stove manufacturing for his
'jiko bomba'.  Well done, and I wish you great success.

 

Secondly, it's time that all of us partisans in the debate over whole
Jatropha seed vs. pelletized Jatropha-based fuel reminded ourselves that
there is a god's plenty of room in the improved cook stove biz for every
successful innovation and a variety of fuels.  "Let a 1000 stoves bloom"
(apologies to Mao).  

 

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