[Stoves] pine forest debris

[Paul Olivier]

Yesterday I ran across this YouTube video. Here pine forest debris (pine
needles, pine cones, twigs and branches) is run through  a hammer mill and
a pellet machine:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOp__fEb9KM

These pellets could be used as fuel in a pellet gasifier:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/22013094/150%20Gasifier/Short/Photos/IMG_1567a.JPG
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/22013094/150%20Gasifier/Short/Photos/IMG_1568a.JPG

The gasifier shown here is only 25 cm in height, and if completely filled
with pelllets, it produces gas for as long as 1.5 hours. The biochar from
this pellet gasifier comes out in pelleted form:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/22013094/150%20Gasifier/Short/Photos/IMG_1563.JPG

Here in Vietnam there are a lot of pine forests. The government has
instituted a program of controlled burns to prevent catastrophic forest
fires. In dry season the air quality in the vicinity of Dalat where I live
is really bad. The smoke, greenhouse gases and soot released from this
controlled burning constitute a major environmental problem. All of the
energy released by these controlled burns is totally wasted. At the same
time, a lot of people go into the forests and chop down trees to make
charcoal to burn in charcoal stoves. Deforestation is a major problem. Due
to their link to deforestation, charcoal stoves, in certain areas of
Vietnam, should be banned.

If forest debris could be collected, hammer-milled and pelleted, then it
would not be necessary to do controlled burns. Minority peoples, who live
within the forests, could earn substantial money collecting forest debris.
Small pellet-making facilities could be set up along the edges of forests.
Some pellets could be used by minority people for household cooking, and
some pellets could be sold. The biochar produced from these pellets is
quite valuable. Numerous studies have shown that pine needle biochar has
exceptional properties (search "pine needle biochar". Some biochar could be
sold, and some could be returned to replenish forest soils.

In Vietnam, over 80% of agricultural land is devoted to rice. In the
highland areas where rice is not grown, there is coffee. In highland areas
where coffee is not grown, there are pine forests. So Vietnam has an
abundance of rice hulls, rice straw, coffee husks, pine needles, pine cones
and other forest debris. No shortage of biomass here.

Thanks.
Paul Olivier

-- 
Paul A. Olivier PhD
26/5 Phu Dong Thien Vuong
Dalat
Vietnam

Louisiana telephone: 1-337-447-4124 (rings Vietnam)
Mobile: 090-694-1573 (in Vietnam)
Skype address: Xpolivier
http://www.esrla.com/
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