[Stoves] Using all the energy when char making

Tom Miles tmiles at trmiles.com
Tue May 14 09:56:44 CDT 2013


Anil,

 

Thanks for bringing this out. 

 

At the time (1975-1995) there were efforts to convert straws and crop residues to energy, particularly in France (at AFME, CEMAGREF, Pillard, etc.). In most cases the char was considered a potential domestic fuel rather than for agriculture. European demand for charcoal was high. French wood pyrolysis and gasification plants were still in operation and in development. (The downdraft gasifier that we associate with Hitler was invented in France in the 1930s.) 

 

As you remember David Hall made a concerted effort to improve carbonization and energy systems in agriculture.

 

Tom    

 

 

From: Stoves [mailto:stoves-bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org] On Behalf Of Nariphaltan
Sent: Tuesday, May 14, 2013 4:10 AM
To: rongretlarson at comcast.net
Cc: Biochar-production; Discussion of biomass cooking stoves
Subject: Re: [Stoves] Using all the energy when char making

 

Dear Ron,

 

Thanks for your mail. We did this work when very few people were interested in loose leafy gasifier. It was designed so that the flow is smooth and hence the best strategy was to pyrolyse the biomass rather than gasify it. In the process we also generated 25% char (w/w feed basis). Since we are an agricultural research Institute hence we thought of using this char as a soil conditioner. This was in 1990-1992. Because of the pioneer nature of this work the gasifier together with the char in the field was on cover of International Journal of Biomass Energy (David Hall used to be the editor of the Journal).

 

Why we left this work? This is a long story but we moved on to other things and partly because no body was interested in the biomass research at that time.

 

Still I think Our work can be inspiration to lots of people.

 

All the best.

 

Anil

Anil K Rajvanshi

 

Sent from my iPad

 

 


On 14-May-2013, at 8:25 AM, rongretlarson at comcast.net wrote:

Dr. Rajvanshi:  cc stoves and adding "bochar-production"

    Thanks for sending us this report.  A few questions

a.  This work was done in the mid '90's.  What has happened recently with this or similar equipment in India or your part of India?   Can one now buy such hardware?

b.   What caused NARI to design a pyrolyzer rather than a combustor?

c.   In the Abstract, you said the char "....can be used as a soil conditioner."   This would have been very early in the history of what we now call "biochar".  Was there then a market near Phaltan for such?   Now?

d.  Your economics section does not show a price for char.  Can you guesstimate the relative value then and now for the char?

     Congratulations for what appears to have been a successful design - ahead of its time..

Ron


  _____  


From: "Nariphaltan" <nariphaltan at gmail.com>
To: "Discussion of biomass cooking stoves" <stoves at lists.bioenergylists.org>
Cc: "Discussion of biomass cooking stoves" <stoves at lists.bioenergylists.org>
Sent: Monday, May 13, 2013 6:08:24 PM
Subject: Re: [Stoves] Using all the energy when char making

Have a look at this "char making machine". www.nariphaltan.org/Gasifier.pdf

 

Cheers.

Anil K Rajvanshi

 

Sent from my iPad

 

 


On 13-May-2013, at 11:24 PM, "Frank Shields" <frank at compostlab.com> wrote:

Stovers,

 

 

Seems there is often a lot of wasted energy that could be used when making char that is just flared off. 

I’m thinking the reason is that to convert to electricity one needs 1) a very clean syngas 2) an expensive motor and 3) costly up-keep. The generator is a onetime purchase with low maintenance.

 

So why not use a steam engine to convert the flame to electricity? Perhaps not as efficient but all you are doing is heating water so the gas need not be as clean as when drawn into an internal combustion engine. 

 

 

Thanks

 

 

Frank  

  

 

Thanks 

 

Frank Shields

 

BioChar Division

Control Laboratories, Inc. 

42 Hangar Way

Watsonville, CE  95076

 

(831) 724-5422 tel

(81) 724-3188 fax

frank at biocharlab.com

www.controllabs.com

 

 

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