[Stoves] pellets in an urban setting

[Paul Olivier]

I am getting excited about the use of pellets. In an urban setting in a
developing country such as Vietnam, a pellet gasifier should be a lot more
socially acceptable than a loose biomass gasifier.

Since pellets can be as much as 8 to 10 times more dense than loose
biomass, the reactor can be much smaller. A net reactor height of only 8
inches is all that is needed to give a burn time of up to 90 minutes. Since
the unit is small, it is  lightweight. The reactor weight is but 1.2 kg. It
is easy to handle. With such a small reactor, the manufacturing cost drops
considerably. This means that the most heat-resistant and non-corrosive
stainless steels become affordable. This adds years to the life of the
unit. This also means that the unit looks good and takes on the appearance
of a high-end kitchen utensil. If the unit does not look good, it will be
hard to sell.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/22013094/150%20Gasifier/Short/Photos/IMG_1571.JPG

Pellets can be more cheaply transported into urban areas than loose
biomass. Dealing with loose biomass can often be dusty and messy. The
storage of pellets in a kitchen takes up much less space than the storage
of loose biomass. With pellets there should be a lot less emissions of
particulates.

Biochar pellets are easier to quantify than loose biochar. A measurement of
biochar volume is all that is needed. There is only a small reduction in
volume as when a pellet is transformed into biochar.

The flame put out by a pellet gasifier is rich and intense throughout the
burn:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84qDsbBO9p8
The flame does not turn ethereal.

It is true that pellets cost more than loose biomass. But pellets are
cheaper to transport into a city than loose biomass, and the biochar
produced from pellets has a higher value in Vietnam than the original
pellets. I foresee the possibility of an exchange program where pellets are
supplied free-of-charge in exchange for the biochar produced from these
pellets.

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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